# Is "Bartholomew and the Oobleck" by Dr. Seuss a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Bartholomew and the Oobleck by Dr. Seuss (Random House, 1949) is identified by: First printing has blue pictorial boards with a matching blue dust jacket bearing the 200/200 price code on the front flap; the blue boards and jacket were later changed to red. US Random House first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing has blue pictorial boards with a matching blue dust jacket bearing the 200/200 price code on the front flap; the blue boards and jacket were later changed to red
- First-issue jacket price code is 200/200
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Dr. Seuss |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1949 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | First printing has blue pictorial boards with a matching blue dust jacket bearing the… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing has blue pictorial boards with a matching blue dust jacket bearing the 200/200 price code on the front flap; the blue boards and jacket were later changed to red. First-issue jacket price code is 200/200.

## Is this the true first?
US Random House first edition. The distinguishing first-printing combination is blue boards plus the matching blue 200/200 jacket.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Copies with red boards and red jackets are later printings even where still labeled first edition; book-club copies lack the jacket price code.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Bartholomew and the Oobleck* by Dr. Seuss a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/bartholomew-and-the-oobleck
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.