# Is "Amos Fortune, Free Man" by Elizabeth Yates a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Amos Fortune, Free Man by Elizabeth Yates (Aladdin Books, 1950) is identified by: First edition 1950, Aladdin Books, distributed by E. US true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition 1950, Aladdin Books, distributed by E. P. Dutton (New York), issued April 1950
- The first printing is dated 1950 with no later-printing statement
- Illustrations by Nora S. Unwin; cloth binding
- Publisher imprint reads Aladdin Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Elizabeth Yates |
| Publisher | Aladdin Books |
| Year | 1950 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | First edition 1950, Aladdin Books, distributed by E. P. Dutton (New York), issued April 1950 |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First edition 1950, Aladdin Books, distributed by E. P. Dutton (New York), issued April 1950. The first printing is dated 1950 with no later-printing statement. Illustrations by Nora S. Unwin; cloth binding.

## Is this the true first?
US true first. Awarded the Newbery Medal in 1951.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings within the 1950 edition exist and add printing notices; subsequent Dutton and Puffin issues are clearly later reprints.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Amos Fortune, Free Man* by Elizabeth Yates a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/amos-fortune-free-man
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.