SENDAK, Maurice, illustrator; WILDER, Alec; ENGVICK, William, editor — Lullabies and Night Songs

New York: Harper & Row, 1980. Maurice Sendak's Whimsical Goat Inscribed by the Artist with an Original Pen-and-Ink Drawing SENDAK, Maurice, illustrator. Lullabies and Night Songs. Music by Alec Wilder. Pictures by Maurice Sendak. Edited by William Engvick. New York: Harper and Row, [ca. 1980]. Later edition, warmly inscribed by Maurice Sendak on the front free endpaper: "For Stuart" accompanied by an original pen-and-ink sketch of a goat wearing a tall hat, signed "Maurice" and dated "Jul '83". Folio (12 5/8 x 9 1/4 inches; 320 x 235 mm.). 78, [2, blank] pp. Profusely illustrated throughout in color. Publisher's dark blue cloth over boards, front cover decoratively titled in gilt, spine lettered in gilt, light gray endpapers. In the original color pictorial dust jacket. Minimal shading to spine. A near fine copy. First published in 1965, Lullabies and Night Songs is among Maurice Sendak's most beloved and visually enchanting books. Created in collaboration with the distinguished American composer Alec Wilder and editor William Engvick, the volume presents a selection of traditional and original lullabies brought vividly to life through Sendak's imaginative illustrations. The book received a Caldecott Honor and remains one of the artist's most celebrated achievements outside the Little Bear and Where the Wild Things Are series. While signed copies of Sendak's books are desirable, examples containing original drawings are particularly sought after. Here the artist has added a charming sketch of a goat in a tall hat, rendered with the effortless economy of line that characterizes his finest doodles and presentation drawings. Such personalized sketches transform an already appealing signed book into a unique artifact of Sendak's creative hand. An especially attractive presentation copy, enhanced by an original drawing and preserved in unusually fine condition. .