Inscribed first printing of this classic story, featuring the adventures of a Mexican boy who gets lost in the jungle — with original watercolor of the title character.
Near fine in near fine dust jacket.
Price: $800.00
Leo Politi wrote and illustrated books for children and adults, and made it a point to tell stories outside of the dominant cultural settings in the US publishing scene. His work "was revered for capturing a diversity of people," and for sparking conversations about "changing communities, who belongs, and how we balance development with the preservation of history" (CURBED LOS ANGELES). His charming illustrations, often incorporating dreamlike elements into more realistic spaces, earned him a Caldecott Medal and two Caldecott Honors, as well as the epithet "the Italian Sr. Seuss" (CURBED LOS ANGELES).
This copy, with its vibrant original watercolor, demonstrates how Politi envisioned his title character in full color.
Read more: Lisa Napoli, "Capturing the soul of the city he loved," Curbed Los Angeles 14 March 2019.
First edition. New York: The Viking Press, 1938. 6'' x 5''. Original pictorial boards in shades of brown. Original unclipped ($.50) brown pictorial dust jacket. Orange and white pictorial endpapers of the jungle. Illustrated in black and brown. [42] pages. Inscribed by Politi to verso of front flyleaf "to Betty Jean / with best wishes / from Pancho / and me," with original watercolor of Pancho. Jacket with mild edgewear, one tiny closed tear; a few faint stray crayon marks. Binding with a couple tiny edge bumps. Firm.
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