# Is "Green Eggs and Ham" by Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel) a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel) (Beginner Books / Random House, 1960) is identified by: First-issue dust jacket priced '195' (the printed price) at upper corner of front flap. US Random House (Beginner Books) is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First-issue dust jacket priced '195' (the printed price) at upper corner of front flap
- Rear jacket panel lists Beginner Books with 'Green Eggs and Ham' as the most recent title (it should not list titles published after 1960)
- Copyright page shows no later-printing statement
- Publisher imprint reads Beginner Books / Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel) |
| Publisher | Beginner Books / Random House |
| Year | 1960 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | First-issue dust jacket priced '195' (the printed price) at upper corner of front flap |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First-issue dust jacket priced '195' (the printed price) at upper corner of front flap. Rear jacket panel lists Beginner Books with 'Green Eggs and Ham' as the most recent title (it should not list titles published after 1960). Copyright page shows no later-printing statement.

## Is this the true first?
US Random House (Beginner Books) is the true first. Identification rests almost entirely on the jacket (price '195' and the back-panel title list ending appropriately), since the book block itself is rarely dated by printing.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions lack the printed jacket price and advance the rear-panel Beginner Books list to include later titles; club copies are often a hair smaller and on lighter paper.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Green Eggs and Ham* by Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel) a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/green-eggs-and-ham
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.