# Is "Blueberries for Sal" by Robert McCloskey a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey (The Viking Press, 1948) is identified by: First printing states 'First published by the Viking Press in September, 1948' on the copyright page with no later-printing reference; oblong format, full tan cloth with the blue Sal illustration matching the jacket, blue duotone illustrations, with the original price present on the jacket flap. US Viking Press 1948 is the true first; a 1949 Caldecott Honor.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing states 'First published by the Viking Press in September, 1948' on the copyright page with no later-printing reference; oblong format, full tan cloth with the blue Sal illustration matching the jacket, blue duotone illustrations, with the original price present on the jacket flap
- Publisher imprint reads The Viking Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Robert McCloskey |
| Publisher | The Viking Press |
| Year | 1948 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | First printing states 'First published by the Viking Press in September, 1948' on the copyright page with no later-printing reference… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing states 'First published by the Viking Press in September, 1948' on the copyright page with no later-printing reference; oblong format, full tan cloth with the blue Sal illustration matching the jacket, blue duotone illustrations, with the original price present on the jacket flap.

## Is this the true first?
US Viking Press 1948 is the true first; a 1949 Caldecott Honor. (Make Way for Ducklings is already in the live index; this is a distinct McCloskey title.)

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions carry a blind-stamp and are unpriced; later printings drop the 'First published by the Viking Press in September, 1948' statement.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Blueberries for Sal* by Robert McCloskey a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/blueberries-for-sal
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.