The points of issue
There is no reliable copyright-page point: the 1947 Harper & Brothers first edition carries no printing statement, so the firmest identifiers are the title-page imprint and the dust jacket. The title page must read 'Harper & Brothers' (not 'Harper & Row', which indicates a later printing), with a green cloth spine over flat (non-glossy) boards. The first-state jacket shows the imprint 'HARPER & BROTHERS - NEW YORK & LONDON' on the rear panel (later jackets drop '& LONDON') and carries an advertisement for 'Little Fur Family' on the rear flap (later jackets advertise 'Little Chicken'). Jacket price points remain debated and unconfirmed, so they should not be relied upon.
Is this the true first?
US Harper & Brothers 1947 is the true first. The base title is already in the live index; this entry records the title-page imprint and first-state jacket points. True first printings cannot be conclusively distinguished from the text alone, so jacket evidence is essential.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings show 'Harper & Row' on the title page; many surviving copies are later printings. The original-issue jacket points (the 'NEW YORK & LONDON' imprint and the 'Little Fur Family' rear-flap advertisement) are absent on later jackets.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Goodnight Moon (first-issue dust-jacket points) a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: There is no reliable copyright-page point: the 1947 Harper & Brothers first edition carries no printing statement, so the firmest identifiers are the title-page imprint and the dust jacket. The title page must read 'Harper & Brothers' (not 'Harper & Row', which indicates a later printing), with a green cloth spine over flat (non-glossy) boards. The first-state jacket shows the imprint 'HARPER & BROTHERS - NEW YORK & LONDON' on the rear panel (later jackets drop '& LONDON') and carries an advertisement for 'Little Fur Family' on the rear flap (later jackets
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 & Brothers 1947 is the true first. The base title is already in the live index; this entry records the title-page imprint and first-state jacket points. True first printings cannot be conclusively distinguished from the text alone, so jacket evidence is essential.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later printings show 'Harper & Row' on the title page; many surviving copies are later printings. The original-issue jacket points (the 'NEW YORK & LONDON' imprint and the 'Little Fur Family' rear-flap advertisement) are absent on later jackets.
I have a first edition of Goodnight Moon (first-issue dust-jacket points) — 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.