THE INNER CITY MOTHER GOOSE, Eve Merriam poems, Lawrence Ratzkin visuals. 1969

1969 First Printing Hardcover of “THE INNER CITY MOTHER GOOSE”, poems by Eve Merriam and illustrations and pictures by Lawrence Ratzkin. Published by Simon and Schuster. Very rare book, especially the hardcover version like this. This is a First Edition, First Printing. This is a very radical hard left book, a parody transforming comforting nursery rhymes of the Mother Goose genre into angry biting anti-establishment short poems. This was 1969, a very polarizing and violent year, or set of years, where America was in turmoil abroad (Vietnam) and at home (riots in the inner cities, and high city crime rates). But the echo today with sky high crime and looting in our big urban progressive cities and this book’s 52 years ago recounting is haunting. This is a historical collector’s item. In very fine condition. Eve Merriam and Lawrence Ratzkin were white Jewish liberals who appropriated the feelings of what they interpreted as inner city minority victimhood and rage. Controversial book.