The points of issue
First printing has a number line that includes the 1 on the copyright page; Hyperion Books for Children imprint; sketchy crayon-and-marker style art with color illustrations throughout. The book was issued WITHOUT a dust jacket as a laminated pictorial-board picture book, so the first-printing boards carry no Caldecott Honor seal (the honor was awarded in 2004). Author's picture-book debut.
Is this the true first?
The US Hyperion hardcover of 2003 is the true first edition and earned a 2004 Caldecott Honor. The first-printing covers predate the seal.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings add the Caldecott Honor seal to the front cover. Board-book and book-club formats are separate later issues and are not the first edition.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First printing has a number line that includes the 1 on the copyright page; Hyperion Books for Children imprint; sketchy crayon-and-marker style art with color illustrations throughout. The book was issued WITHOUT a dust jacket as a laminated pictorial-board picture book, so the first-printing boards carry no Caldecott Honor seal (the honor was awarded in 2004). Author's picture-book debut.
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 Hyperion hardcover of 2003 is the true first edition and earned a 2004 Caldecott Honor. The first-printing covers predate the seal.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later printings add the Caldecott Honor seal to the front cover. Board-book and book-club formats are separate later issues and are not the first edition.
I have a first edition of Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! — 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.