# Is "The Ralph S. Mouse" by Beverly Cleary a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Ralph S. Mouse by Beverly Cleary (William Morrow, 1982) is identified by: William Morrow first printing identified by a complete number line reading 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 on the copyright page. US Morrow edition is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- William Morrow first printing identified by a complete number line reading 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 on the copyright page
- Bound in quarter blue cloth over pale green paper boards with gilt spine lettering and blue endpapers; issued in a first-issue pictorial dust jacket that should retain its original printed front-flap price
- Illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky; the third book in the Ralph the Mouse series
- Publisher imprint reads William Morrow
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Beverly Cleary |
| Publisher | William Morrow |
| Year | 1982 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | William Morrow first printing identified by a complete number line reading 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
William Morrow first printing identified by a complete number line reading 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 on the copyright page. Bound in quarter blue cloth over pale green paper boards with gilt spine lettering and blue endpapers; issued in a first-issue pictorial dust jacket that should retain its original printed front-flap price. Illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky; the third book in the Ralph the Mouse series.

## Is this the true first?
US Morrow edition is the true first. Note the actual title is 'Ralph S. Mouse' (no leading 'The').

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Weekly Reader and other book-club editions typically lack the printed jacket price and the full 1-through-10 number line; the Weekly Reader issue is a common later tell.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Ralph S. Mouse* by Beverly Cleary a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-ralph-s-mouse
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.