SENDAK, Maurice. In the Night Kitchen. [NY]: Harper & Row [1970]. 4to, [40]pp. Off-white speckled cloth with color pictorial label affixed to front. Mustard endpapers; color illustrations on every page. Spine ends slightly rubbed, faintest evidence of foxing to fore-edge, slightest crease at top of hinge, else a fine copy in original color pictorial dust jacket (spine ends and corners a tad rubbed, a few marks in ink to rear, no medal affixed). Signed by the author/artist, Caldecott Medalist Maurice Sendak!

 

First edition. 1971 Caldecott Honor Book! This poignant and gorgeously illustrated picture book follows Mickey as he wanders through a surrealist dreamscape, where he must help three bakers (all suspiciously resembling Oliver Hardy) bake a cake. This book was included on the list of 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books by the ALA. Sendak named his character Mickey after Mickey Mouse, who like Sendak, arrived in 1928!