# Is "Bud, Not Buddy" by Christopher Paul Curtis a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis (Delacorte Press, 1999) is identified by: First edition 1999, Delacorte Press, New York. US true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition 1999, Delacorte Press, New York
- The first printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page with a complete number line ending in 1; copyright 1999
- Pictorial boards in a first-state dust jacket without the Newbery Medal seal
- Publisher imprint reads Delacorte Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Christopher Paul Curtis |
| Publisher | Delacorte Press |
| Year | 1999 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | First edition 1999, Delacorte Press, New York |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition 1999, Delacorte Press, New York. The first printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page with a complete number line ending in 1; copyright 1999. Pictorial boards in a first-state dust jacket without the Newbery Medal seal.

## Is this the true first?
US true first. Awarded the Newbery Medal in 2000 and the Coretta Scott King Author Award.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Missing 'First Edition' or a number line not ending in 1 indicates a later printing. Later jacket states carry a higher printed price, book-club editions lack a jacket price, and post-award jackets add the award seals.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Bud, Not Buddy* by Christopher Paul Curtis a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/bud-not-buddy
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.