# Is "A Bear Called Paddington" by Michael Bond (illus. Peggy Fortnum) a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond (illus. Peggy Fortnum) (Collins, 1958) is identified by: The true first is the 1958 Collins (London and Glasgow) edition with Peggy Fortnum line drawings, bound in original red cloth. UK Collins 1958 is the true first; the US Houghton Mifflin edition (1960) is a separate, later issue.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The true first is the 1958 Collins (London and Glasgow) edition with Peggy Fortnum line drawings, bound in original red cloth
- The first impression states the 1958 date with no later impression statement
- The first-issue dust jacket carries the original UK printed price on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Collins
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Michael Bond (illus. Peggy Fortnum) |
| Publisher | Collins |
| Year | 1958 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | The true first is the 1958 Collins (London and Glasgow) edition with Peggy Fortnum line drawings, bound in original red cloth |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
The true first is the 1958 Collins (London and Glasgow) edition with Peggy Fortnum line drawings, bound in original red cloth. The first impression states the 1958 date with no later impression statement. The first-issue dust jacket carries the original UK printed price on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
UK Collins 1958 is the true first; the US Houghton Mifflin edition (1960) is a separate, later issue. This is the first book in the Paddington series.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
US Houghton Mifflin copies are not the true first. Later printings carry an added impression line, and price-clipped or club copies lack the original the printed price UK price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A Bear Called Paddington* by Michael Bond (illus. Peggy Fortnum) a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-bear-called-paddington
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.