WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE
Lovely first edition of the subversive Caldecott-award winner, in the rare original first-issue dust jacket.
Near fine in very good plus jacket.
Price: $12,000.00
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE
"[I]t is through fantasy that children achieve catharsis. It is the best means they have for taming Wild Things." – Sendak, Caldecott acceptance speech
After illustrating nearly 50 other books, WILD THINGS was Sendak's first full-color picture book with his own text and illustrations. He took full advantage of that control to push the boundaries of the children's picture book genre. The story of a boy who gets in a fight with his mother and lets out his pent up feelings in a fantastical Wild Rumpus, WILD THINGS focused on the complex inner experience of little Max, acknowledging the reality that children deal with anger, frustration, and fear just as adults do. For this reason, the book was initially not well received: before the rise of New Realism in children's literature, many critics felt children's books ought to model ideal behavior rather than accurately reflect children's emotional experiences. The book made a splash from the very beginning, as Sendak expected it would: many critics advised against buying the book, and some libraries banned it. Readers largely didn't know how to react to its unconventional approach – until it won the Caldecott. WILD THINGS is now one of the best-selling children's books of all time, paving the way for commercial picture books that explore our darker sides and encourage us to make friends with monsters.
Read more: Hanrahan, Works of Maurice Sendak: 1947-1994, A58.
The Object
[New York]: Harper & Row, 1963. 9'' x 10''. Original quarter grey cloth, color pictorial paper boards. In original price-clipped color pictorial dust jacket without Caldecott medal, and with 3-paragraph blurb on front flap (blurbs are issue point, not price; ref. Hanrahan). Color pictorial endpapers. Illustrated by Sendak in color throughout. [40] pages. Jacket with some soiling and toning, a few short closed tears minutely reinforced on verso. Book with a bit of bumping to extremities, else clean and bright.
The Fine Print
We work hard to meet our ethical responsibility to describe our material accurately. All items are guaranteed as described and may be returned for any reason within 30 days. Please notify us before mailing a return.
We guarantee the authenticity of our items. All materials are original (meaning not facsimiles or reproductions) unless otherwise noted. First editions (meaning first edition, first printing) are explicitly stated. TPM is a member of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America and upholds their Code of Ethics.
All photographs are of the actual item for sale. We're happy to provide additional images on request.
All domestic orders ship gratis. For orders under $250, free USPS media mail shipping is included; orders $250 and over ship USPS Ground Advantage. International orders over $1000 also ship gratis. Expedited, overnight, as well as other carriers (UPS, Fed-Ex, etc.), may carry additional costs beyond quoted rates. All orders receive tracking information and a direct contact in case of any questions.
International buyers are responsible for any customs, taxes, and related import fees. Please note that we are unable to accomodate requests to misrepresent, misdeclare, or otherwise falsify customs documents when shipping internationally. We appreciate your understanding.
We accept all major credit cards, Paypal, Venmo, check, money order, and bank wire. We are happy to bill institutional buyers' needs. Sales tax will be added to applicable purchases. Items subject to prior sale.
If for any reason you are dissatisfied with your purchase, please contact us. We prioritize our long-term relationships far above any individual purchase, and we want you to love your item as much as we loved cataloguing it.
