New York is Book Country was a Manhattan street fair and literary celebration begun in 1979 and abruptly cancelled in 2010. Each year, a prominent artist or book illustrator created a poster to mark the event. Oftentimes, the artist was on hand to autograph the poster for attendees. The very first NY is BC featured two posters, one created by Edward Gorey and a second by Maurice Sendak. In subsequent years, only one was issued.

This original 28 x 18” color poster by famous children’s illustrator and New Yorker cartoonist William Steig (Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, The Amazing Bone, Doctor De Soto) features a young girl reading, sitting atop a big apple. In VG+ condition with a 1” closed tear at the bottom and some very minor staining. An early, official poster of New York is Book Country, 1984.