Books

Harper & Row. New York. 1964. First edition, first printing. Un-paginated; 57 pages. Meets all points. Copyright page has a 4-line colophon without an ISBN number. Colophon reads: Line1 :THE GIVING TREE. Line 2: Copyright 1964 by Shel Silverstein. Line 3: Printed in the United States of America. All rights reserved. Line 4: Library of Congress catalog card number: 64-11840. Book is housed in an original first edition, first issue DJ with 0964 on front flap. Three reviews of Lafcadio on rear flap by Kirkus, the New York Times and Publisher?s Weekly. $2.50 price-clipped at top of front flap. A full-torso photograph of Silverstein with hair on his head positioned on upper left of the back of DJ. Book measures 8.75 inches by 7 inches. Book is tight. Binding and hinges are strong and sound. Illustrated boards are bright. Faint fingerprints along rear panel edge and some page edges; barely. Minimal shelf-rubbing at tips. Previous owner's name neatly written small on upper corner of front endpaper. DJ shows light soiling. Thin, shallow chip at crown; small chip at foot. Small closed tear at shoulder and one on upper fold on rear. Faint emulsion coagulation on rear photo. All flaws noted and over-stated. This is a nice, tight, clean copy of the classic in its uncommon first printing. A plum for any rare book collector. VG+/VG Also laid-in is a Shel Silverstein USPS First Day Cover with an official First Day of Issue postmark; as well as a Shel Silverstein USPS Digital Color Postmark First Day Cover.

The Giving Tree is a children's picture book written and illustrated by Shel Silverstein. First published in 1964, it tells the story of a boy and the eponymous giving tree and is noted for its themes of generosity and selflessness.