AN EXTRAORDINARY CHILDREN'S RARITY: THE GRINCH, FIRST EDITION, WONDERFULLY INSCRIBED BY DR. SEUSS WITH AN ORIGINAL SKETCH

SEUSS, Dr. How the Grinch Stole Christmas! New York: Random House, (1957). Quarto, original pictorial paper boards, original dust jacket. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box. $12,500.

First edition of one of the most popular Dr. Seuss books, inscribed: "For Eve Donlon with Best Wishes—Dr. Seuss," with a small original sketch of a Who in a hat.

"In 1954 the Whos won popularity when Horton saved them from destruction… So Ted returned to Who-ville and paired the Whos with a character who was every bit as dastardly as Horton was faithful… Clearly the Grinch has been the most memorable Christmas villain to undergo redemption since Ebenezer Scrooge. To some degree, Ted identified with the Grinch… When asked why he wrote the book, Ted replied, 'I was brushing my teeth on the morning of the 26th of last December when I noted a very Grinch-ish countenance in the mirror. It was Seuss! So I wrote the story about my sour friend, the Grinch, to see if I could rediscover something about Christmas that obviously I'd lost.' It was no coincidence that, when the book appeared in 1957, the Grinch complained, 'For fifty-three years I've put up with it now…' Ted, of course, was born in 1904… After The Cat in the Hat [also published 1957] and The Grinch, Ted's reputation grew exponentially" (Cohen, 329-30). Geisel's tribute to true holiday cheer "added an unforgettable character to American literary mythology and a highly descriptive noun/verb to our language" (Dr. Seuss From Then to Now, 51). First edition, in first-issue dust jacket with 250/250 code on front flap and 14 titles advertised on rear flap. Younger & Hirsch 33.

Book about-fine, bright dust jacket with only faint dampstain to spinehead, light rubbing to edges, and a bit of creasing to rear panel. A wonderful near-fine inscribed copy.