SIGNED BY MICHAEL ROSEN
ROSEN, Michael (author). Helen OXENBURY (illustrator). We're Going On A Bear Hunt. London; Walker Books. 1989.
Landscape 4to.; publisher's terracotta textured cloth lettered in black to spine, pictorial double-page endpapers (different at front and rear), in pictorial dustwrapper; pp. [36]; illustrated throughout in alternate colour and monochrome with wonderful double-page spreads; both externally and internally fine, without ownership inscription, in an uncommonly clean example of this scarce and vulnerable dustwrapper with a trace of light dusting, 4 tiny spots to upper panel, one short, angled, and closed, tear to top edge of lower panel (3.5cm), with a little local creasing, and two other tiny closed edge tears, each professionally repaired to the reverse with archival tissue-tape.
First edition of this modern children's classic, which has established itself as one of the best-loved children's books in English of the late twentieth century, boasting sales well in advance of 9 million copies. Unsurprisingly it is included in the BBC list of the Greatest Children's Books of All Time, published in 2023.
This example is signed in black felt pen by Michael Rosen to the title-page in a shaky hand and comes with the original event ticket from the Hay Festival 13th April 2017, where the signing took place. The book has garnered a host of awards over its lifetime including the overall Nestle Smarties Book Prize in its year of publication; the School Library Journal Best Book of the Year and Mainichi Newspapers Japanese Picture Book Award, Outstanding Picture Book from Abroad award.. It was also an 'Honor Book' in the Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards and was highly commended for the 1898 Kate Greenaway Medal.
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