# Is "Otis Spofford" by Beverly Cleary a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Otis Spofford by Beverly Cleary (William Morrow, 1953) is identified by: Morrow first edition, 1953, 191 pages, in full blue cloth, illustrated by Louis Darling; the first printing carries the 1953 date with no added statement of a later printing, and the first-issue dust jacket bears the original printed price on the front flap. US William Morrow first edition; no precedence question.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Morrow first edition, 1953, 191 pages, in full blue cloth, illustrated by Louis Darling; the first printing carries the 1953 date with no added statement of a later printing, and the first-issue dust jacket bears the original printed price on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads William Morrow
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Beverly Cleary |
| Publisher | William Morrow |
| Year | 1953 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | Morrow first edition, 1953, 191 pages, in full blue cloth, illustrated by Louis Darling; the first printing carries the 1953 date with no… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Morrow first edition, 1953, 191 pages, in full blue cloth, illustrated by Louis Darling; the first printing carries the 1953 date with no added statement of a later printing, and the first-issue dust jacket bears the original printed price on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
US William Morrow first edition; no precedence question.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club and later printings lack the original jacket price and may carry an added printing statement.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Otis Spofford* by Beverly Cleary a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/otis-spofford
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.