The points of issue
First edition: Harper & Row 1970; Harper code on the copyright page; first-issue dust jacket WITHOUT the Caldecott Honor seal (Honor 1971), priced the printed price. No later-printing statement.
Is this the true first?
US Harper & Row is the true first. The Harper copyright-page code plus the pre-Caldecott jacket (no Honor seal) are the markers.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions omit the Harper code, add the Caldecott Honor seal to the jacket, drop the price, are smaller, and carry a board blind-stamp.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Frog and Toad Are Friends a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First edition: Harper & Row 1970; Harper code on the copyright page; first-issue dust jacket WITHOUT the Caldecott Honor seal (Honor 1971), priced the printed price. No later-printing statement.
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. US Harper & Row is the true first. The Harper copyright-page code plus the pre-Caldecott jacket (no Honor seal) are the markers.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Book-club editions omit the Harper code, add the Caldecott Honor seal to the jacket, drop the price, are smaller, and carry a board blind-stamp.
I have a first edition of Frog and Toad Are Friends — 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.