PRESENTATION / ASSOCIATION COPY OF HIGGLETY PIGGLETY POP!, INSCRIBED BY MAURICE SENDAK TO HIS CLOSE FRIEND, CHILDREN’S BOOK AUTHOR AND ILLUSTRATOR JAMES MARSHALL, WITH AN ORIGINAL DRAWING OF THE MILKMAN CAT
SENDAK, Maurice. Higglety Pigglety Pop! Or There Must Be More to Life. [New York]: Harper & Row, (1967). Square 12mo, original brown cloth, mounted cover illustration, original dust jacket.
First edition, presentation copy, of this frantic quest for fame and fortune, inscribed to Sendak’s dear friend and fellow children’s book author and illustrator, James Marshall: “For Jim Marshall, Maurice Sendak July ’74,” with an original drawing of the Milkman Cat from the story saying, “Meow!”
This delightful tale is “the story of a dog named Jennie (in fact Sendak’s own beloved Sealyham terrier) who leaves home in search of excitement and becomes a performer in the World Mother Goose Theatre” (Carpenter & Prichard, 476). Hanrahan A68. The recipient of this copy, James Marshall, was an acclaimed children’s book author and illustrator. Marshall and Sendak were friends for many years. They stole illustration elements from one another and always hoped to collaborate on a project. However, in 1992, Marshall died. Upon Marshall’s death, Sendak said, “He is a great man gone. I don’t think there are many in the profession who were Jim Marshall. I so much admired his work and treasured his friendship.” Ultimately, it was Sendak who illustrated Marshall’s final unpublished manuscript, Swine Lake, at last achieving a sort of collaboration.
Book fine, text block expertly repaired, price-clipped dust jacket extremely good with a bit of soiling and light wear to extremities. A desirable copy, scarce inscribed and with original sketch.