Margaret McElderry's Copy First Encounters by the Sorels

Man about town David From Manhattan has created an informative piece about a book personalized by illustrator Edward Sorel to a leading children's book editor. David writes:

First Encounters: A Book of Memorable Meetings (1994), written by Nancy Caldwell Sorel and illustrated by her husband Edward, was inspired by a Vanity Fair feature from the 1930s, "Impossible Interviews," that was illustrated with caricatures by Miguel Covarrubias. "First Encounters" became a popular feature of The Atlantic, which six times a year described and pictured actual first encounters between real people that allowed Mr. Sorel "to experiment," as he put it, with different mediums each time an encounter appeared, thus showing off the full scope of his art. After a 14-year run, Sorel's publisher, Alfred Knopf, was quite happy to enlist printers in Italy and produce a lavish volume in time for Christmas.

One of the recipients of this book, most likely during the holidays, was the legendary children's book editor, Margaret McElderry (1912-2011) whose copy of First Encounters is warmly inscribed: "For Margaret McElderry/ Who published my first children's book/ With affection/ Edward Sorel."

Mr. Sorel was still a few years from publishing two children's books, Johnny on the Spot (1998) and The Saturday Kid (2000), under the auspices of McElderry Books at Simon & Schuster, so what exactly was he referring to with his thank-you? We need to go back to 1958, and King Carlo of Capri, a children's story based on "Riquet with the Tuft of Hair," a 17th century tale by Charles Perrault, retold and reworked by Warren Miller (the writer, not the cartoonist), and illustrated by Sorel, who also came up with the catchier title.

Most important, it was actually his very first book, period, published at Harcourt, Brace & Co., with a children's book department headed by none other than Margaret McElderry. Sorel had not forgotten.

Still, in the spirit of not forgetting, I can't quite leave the subject of children's literature and first books without mentioning one more volume of Sorel's: The Zillionaire's Daughter (1989).

His second children's story, it was his first as sole author and illustrator, with a contract that gave him free reign. Published by Warner Juvenile Books, it's a witty, 22-page story set entirely in rhymed verse, and well-illustrated with watercolors, right down to the striking endpapers.

The story of a wealthy Frenchman, Max Maximillion, who brings his daughter Claire on a trip to America, it was also a great excuse for Sorel to share his love of Art Deco, visit the 1939 World's Fair, and spend quality time on an ocean liner Max owned and, with no knowledge of today's billionaires & oligarchs, presciently named the S.S. Gigantic.

Note:  Thanks a zillion to David From Manhattan for providing us with this post, words and pictures, as only he can. This is his seventieth contribution to Attempted Bloggery, so it doesn't qualify as a first encounter.

Edward Sorel is a fabulous illustrator who has been creating top-notch art for decades. Collectors who would like to share their Sorel originals here virtually are encouraged to submit what they have.

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