A Hole is to Dig
by Ruth Krauss
- Used
- Fine
- Hardcover
- Signed
- first
- Condition
- Fine/Near Fine
- Seller
-
Rockville, Maryland, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Harper & Row, Publishers, 1952. 1st Edition . Hardcover. Fine/Near Fine. Maurice Sendak. Condition: Fine in near-fine jacket. Inscribed first edition, later state, of the commercial and critical success that established Sendak's talent as an illustrator and Krauss's reputation for capturing child-like lyricism - an especially nice copy inscribed by Krauss. Krauss enjoyed enormous acclaim, particularly in the 1950s, as a writer on her own terms for her children's books that are now better known today as early "Sendak titles." Biographer Philip Nel argues that, because she "treated them as equals, children accepted Krauss as one of them, confiding in her, telling her stories, or just playing while she watched. She listened, wrote down what they said, and used her poet's ear to select phrases that displayed a natural, unrehearsed lyricism." Krauss, along with her husband Crockett Johnson, was a formative mentor for Sendak. While their relationship was often strained, Sendak felt that "part of her fury was educating me, the dumb Brooklyn kid, into a more interesting human being. She was determined that I have more insight, that I think higher" (quoted in Nel, 178-9). Their first collaboration. 6.5'' x 5.25''. Original quarter teal cloth, color pictorial paper boards. In original unclipped ($1.95) color pictorial dust jacket, clipped on bottom portion. Illustrated by Sendak on every page. Later state, with "Grr-r-r" present on page [23]. [48] pages. Jacket slight chipping at base and top.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Turn and Temper Books (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 197
- Title
- A Hole is to Dig
- Author
- Ruth Krauss
- Illustrator
- Maurice Sendak
- Format/Binding
- Hardcover
- Book Condition
- Used - Fine
- Jacket Condition
- Near Fine
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- 1st Edition
- Publisher
- Harper & Row, Publishers
- Date Published
- 1952
Terms of Sale
Turn and Temper Books
Email is the preferred (and quickest) means of communication. All items are graded conservatively using consistent standards: 'Fine' is the best condition class, followed by 'Very Good', 'Good', 'Fair', and 'Poor'. Please inquire if you have any questions about the condition of an item listed. If you're dissatisfied with your purchase (Incorrect Book/Not as Described/Damaged) or if the order hasn't arrived, you're eligible for a refund within 30 days of the estimated delivery date. If you have any questions, please contact us and we'll respond within 2 business days. Dealers may inquire for reciprocal trade discount.
About the Seller
Turn and Temper Books
Biblio member since 2023
Rockville, Maryland
About Turn and Temper Books
Turn and Temper Books specializes in non-fiction, high quality rare books in Science, Psychology, Philosophy, Nature, Technology, Business, and related fields. We also may have the occasional modern first edition and other fiction titles. We focus on quality and condition: with few exceptions (mostly relating to antiquarian stock), all books sold are in Very Good or better condition and are highly collectible.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- Jacket
- Sometimes used as another term for dust jacket, a protective and often decorative wrapper, usually made of paper which wraps...
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
- Cloth
- "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
- Inscribed
- When a book is described as being inscribed, it indicates that a short note written by the author or a previous owner has been...
- Chipping
- A defect in which small pieces are missing from the edges; fraying or small pieces of paper missing the edge of a paperback, or...
- Later State
- used in book collecting to refer to a book from a later run of a first edition, generally distinguished by a change in some part...