Oblong 8vo. Numerous color illustrations by Sendak. Original cloth-backed color pictorial boards (fore-corners very gently bumped, some mild toning near edges); dust jacket priced "$3.50", lower corner clipped as issued (some toning to extremities, for tiny short tears to fore-corners and spine ends)

FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE, with the Library of Congress number 63-21253 on the title-page. IN A FIRST ISSUE DUST JACKET with the codes "40-80" and "1163" on front flap, and the absence on the rear flap of the mention of the Caldecott Award bestowed upon the book on publication (the winning of such a prestigious prize compelled the publishers to recall the entire edition and change the text on the dust jacket to include the achievement).

Initially controversial for its depiction of "wild" behavior and fanged monsters, the book became a classic, was translated into numerous languages, and sold millions of copies. It inspired adaptations such as an opera (1979) and a film directed by Spike Jonze (2009). AIGA called it "the perfect book." Grolier, One Hundred Books Famous in Children's Literature 9; Hanrahan A58.