Horton Hatches the Egg.

SEUSS, Dr.

Item Number: 100924

New York: Random House, 1940.

Early printing of this “absolute delight,” Seuss’ story of one noble elephant’s exceptional steadfastness, inscribed by the author, “For Richard and Philip with Best Wishes—Dr. Seuss,” with Seuss’ original sketch of one of his whimsical creatures. Quarto, original gray cloth. Very good in a very good dust jacket with light wear to the extremities and a few small chips. Rare and desirable with a drawing by Dr. Seuss.

After producing several prose books with black-and-white illustrations, Seuss “returned to full color and to rhyming text in Horton Hatches the Egg… Two years earlier, he had told almost the exact same story in the fable ‘Matilda, the Elephant with a Mother Complex.’ Matilda was characterized as a foolish failure for her dogged and well-meaning but ridiculous efforts. But the world had changed in the two years between Matilda and Horton. Germany had invaded Poland… [Seuss] held a growing belief that the United States had to join the war in Europe, and the concept of duty became very important to him” (Cohen, 201). Horton’s refrain epitomizes that concept—“I meant what I said, and I said what I meant. An elephant’s faithful, one hundred percent”—and his motto “has become a classic line in children’s literature” (Silvey, 591). The first book that Warner Brothers adapted for a cartoon, “Horton Hatches the Egg is an absolute delight” (Cohen, 202). Younger & Hirsch 31.