More ways to confirm a first printing
- CRITICAL QUIRK: Harper repeatedly FAILED to remove the 'First Edition' statement from later printings — the NUMBER LINE is the authoritative signal, not the words. A book stating 'First Edition' but with a number line that does not reach 1 is a LATER printing
- 1912 to about 1968 (Harper & Brothers, then Harper & Row): two-letter date code on the copyright page. The first letter is the month (A=Jan ... excluding J; K=Oct, L=Nov, M=Dec) and the second is the year (M=1912, and again 1937 and 1962, because the year letters repeat every 25 years). 'First Edition' was also stated from about 1922, but the code is the precise tell. Some 1960s picture books (Where the Wild Things Are, 1963; The Giving Tree, 1964) carry neither code nor statement on the first printing, so a missing code there does not prove a later printing
- Greenwillow (founded 1974 by Susan Hirschman): follows Harper house style — stated 'First Edition' + number line to 1
Notable points & cautions
- Home of the most-collected picture books: Maurice Sendak (Where the Wild Things Are, Harper & Row 1963), Shel Silverstein, Margaret Wise Brown (Goodnight Moon), Crockett Johnson, Garth Williams — verify via number line because 'First Edition' carry-over is rampant
- Harper & Brothers → Harper & Row in 1962 → HarperCollins in 1990; ID conventions carried through with the same 'forgot to delete First Edition' habit
- Book-club editions (Weekly Reader, Junior Literary Guild) of Harper picture books are common: smaller trim, cheaper paper, no price on jacket flap, often a blind stamp on lower-right rear board
Imprints
First editions also appear under: Greenwillow Books, Katherine Tegen Books, Balzer + Bray, Harper, Joanna Cotler Books, Laura Geringer Books, Amistad (children's), Walden Pond Press, HarperFestival, Harper & Row Junior Books (historical), Ursula Nordstrom Books (historical). Each generally follows the house convention above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my HarperCollins Children's Books (formerly Harper & Row Junior Books / Harper & Brothers) book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. Modern (post-1990 HarperCollins, and Harper & Row from c.1975): stated 'First Edition' on copyright page PLUS a full descending number line ending in 1 (e.g. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1) CRITICAL QUIRK: Harper repeatedly FAILED to remove the 'First Edition' statement from later printings — the NUMBER LINE is the authoritative signal, not the words. A book stating 'First Edition' but with a number line that does not reach 1 is a LATER printing
Does HarperCollins Children's Books (formerly Harper & Row Junior Books / Harper & Brothers) use a number line?
CRITICAL QUIRK: Harper repeatedly FAILED to remove the 'First Edition' statement from later printings — the NUMBER LINE is the authoritative signal, not the words. A book stating 'First Edition' but with a number line that does not reach 1 is a LATER printing
Is a book-club edition a HarperCollins Children's Books (formerly Harper & Row Junior Books / Harper & Brothers) first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Home of the most-collected picture books: Maurice Sendak (Where the Wild Things Are, Harper & Row 1963), Shel Silverstein, Margaret Wise Brown (Goodnight Moon), Crockett Johnson, Garth Williams — verify via number line because 'First Edition' carry-over is rampant
What era does this cover?
This covers HarperCollins Children's Books (formerly Harper & Row Junior Books / Harper & Brothers) (1817–present (date-code era 1912 to about 1968; stated First Edition plus number line from about 1969)). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.
Clearing out a shelf that includes HarperCollins Children's Books (formerly Harper & Row Junior Books / Harper & Brothers) books? I take books as a free donation and make sure collectible copies are identified, not discarded: free pickup in the Albuquerque metro (scheduled by route), the 24/7 drop box at 5445 Edith Blvd NE, or donor-paid mail-in from anywhere in the US. Call or text 505-250-3804.