The points of issue
Dr. Seuss's first children's book. First edition, first issue: Vanguard Press, 1937 on both the title and copyright pages, with no later printings listed. The defining first-issue point is the boy Marco shown in WHITE shorts on the front cover and on the jacket; a later second state corrects the shorts to blue. First-issue jacket is priced 1.00 on the lower front flap. Pictorial boards.
Is this the true first?
The US Vanguard Press 1937 edition is the true first and is very scarce, especially in the first-issue jacket. Random House later acquired the Seuss list, but the original publisher is Vanguard.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club and later printings carry the corrected blue-shorts artwork or a Random House imprint and are not the 1937 first issue.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Dr. Seuss's first children's book. First edition, first issue: Vanguard Press, 1937 on both the title and copyright pages, with no later printings listed. The defining first-issue point is the boy Marco shown in WHITE shorts on the front cover and on the jacket; a later second state corrects the shorts to blue. First-issue jacket is priced 1.00 on the lower front flap. Pictorial boards.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. The US Vanguard Press 1937 edition is the true first and is very scarce, especially in the first-issue jacket. Random House later acquired the Seuss list, but the original publisher is Vanguard.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Book-club and later printings carry the corrected blue-shorts artwork or a Random House imprint and are not the 1937 first issue.
I have a first edition of And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.