Big Book for Peace — Sendak, Dutton 1990

📖 The Big Book for Peace edited by Ann Durell and Marilyn Sachs (1990, Dutton Children’s Books) — a charitable anthology of seventeen stories, poems, and illustrations by over thirty renowned children’s book creators, all advocating peace and non-violence. This first edition with full number line and unclipped $15.95 dust jacket is in Near Fine condition throughout.

QUICK FACTS

• Editors: Ann Durell and Marilyn Sachs
• Publisher: Dutton Children’s Books (Penguin Books USA), New York
• Year: 1990 (First Edition, full number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1)
• Format: Hardcover in dust jacket (reinforced for library use)
• ISBN: 0-525-44605-2 | LC: PZ5.B445 1990
• Condition: Near Fine / Near Fine — full report below

THE STORY

The Big Book for Peace was created by more than thirty of the best-known authors and illustrators of children’s literature, united by a single purpose: to promote understanding, harmony, and non-violence among young readers. The volume contains seventeen original stories, poems, and even a song, ranging from fantasy tales to serious reflections on real events — all celebrating peace and the hope of a peaceful world for every child to inherit.

What makes this anthology historically significant is its charitable structure: all royalties normally due to the contributors, and all income from the publisher’s sale of the book, were donated to organizations working for peace, including Amnesty International, The Carter Center’s Conflict Resolution Program, Greenpeace, the Lion and the Lamb Peace Arts Center, and SANE/FREEZE.

THE CONTRIBUTORS

Written by: Lloyd Alexander, Natalie Babbitt, John Bierhorst, Jean Fritz, Jean Craighead George, Thacher Hurd, Steven Kellogg, Myra Cohn Livingston, Lois Lowry, Milton Meltzer, Katherine Paterson, Marilyn Sachs, Yoshiko Uchida, Mildred Pitts Walter, Nancy Willard, Charlotte Zolotow

Illustrated by: Jon Agee, Thomas B. Allen, Barbara Cooney, Diane and Leo Dillon, Leonard Everett Fisher, Thacher Hurd, Trina Schart Hyman, Steven Kellogg, Jerry Pinkney, Ted Rand, Allen Say, Maurice Sendak, Ben Shecter, Marc Simont, Teri Sloat, Paul O. Zelinsky, Dirk Zimmer

COVER ART and ILLUSTRATIONS

The dust jacket features an iconic Maurice Sendak illustration depicting one of his signature Wild Things — a large, furry creature with yellow eyes, a crown of twigs and blue birds, wearing a striped tunic — seated among foliage and yellow flowers. Sendak’s signature appears in the lower right. The interior showcases a remarkable diversity of illustration styles: watercolor cityscapes and protest scenes by Thomas B. Allen, whimsical cartoon-style art by Jon Agee, painterly Native American council scenes by the Dillons, and work from fifteen other distinguished illustrators.

WHY IT MATTERS

• One of the most star-studded children’s book anthologies ever assembled — every contributor donated their work to the cause of peace
• Maurice Sendak’s cover art features his beloved Wild Thing character, making this a cross-collectible for both Sendak enthusiasts and peace-themed book collectors
• The charitable donation structure (proceeds to Amnesty International, Greenpeace, and others) makes this a meaningful artifact of late-20th-century children’s book activism
• Features work by three Newbery Medalists: Lois Lowry (The Giver), Katherine Paterson (Bridge to Terabithia), and Nancy Willard (Elizabeth, the Witch)

FREQUENTLY ASKED

What edition is this? First Edition with full number line (10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1), published by Dutton Children’s Books in 1990. The dust jacket is unclipped at $15.95.

What condition is it in? Near Fine for both book and dust jacket — clean boards, tight binding, bright interior, minimal edge wear on jacket. Full condition report below.

Is this signed by any of the contributors? No, this copy is not signed. However, the Maurice Sendak cover illustration makes it a desirable copy for Sendak collectors.

FOR COLLECTORS

This first edition is a cross-over collectible: it appeals to Sendak collectors (cover art), Newbery Medal completionists (Lowry, Paterson, Willard), and collectors of peace-themed or charitable publications. The reinforced-for-library-use binding indicates this was produced to withstand heavy circulation — a practical detail that makes surviving Near Fine copies relatively uncommon.

Condition Report

Overall Grade: Book: Near Fine (NF) / Jacket: Near Fine (NF)

Cover and Spine: Pictorial light grey cloth-backed paper boards with clean surfaces and sound spine ends, crisp board corners.

Dust Jacket: Original jacket preserved in a protective sleeve; unclipped flap showing $15.95 price; some very minimal edge wear in a few places.

Text Block and Pages: Clean off-white pages with bright illustrations; no markings, folds, no writing.

Binding: Square, tight, and firm throughout.

See accompanying images for full condition details.

Will ship promptly, carefully packaged.

HFB-SEO-v1: 2026-07-28

1 in stock