The points of issue
The true first is the 1955 Harper & Brothers edition. The copyright page reads 'Harper & Brothers' (not the later 'Harper & Row' or 'HarperCollins'), with copyright 1955 and Library of Congress catalog card number 55-7683. The first-issue dust jacket carries the original printed price and the publisher flap codes (a 'No. 5671A'-style code at the foot of the front flap and a corresponding code on the rear flap). The book has no free endpapers: the half-title is the first leaf and the page where Harold falls asleep is the last.
Is this the true first?
US Harper & Brothers 1955 is the true first; the 'Harper & Brothers' imprint and 1955 copyright are the principal dating points. Crockett Johnson is the pen name of David Johnson Leisk.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings show the 'Harper & Row' imprint and a later copyright date; book-club copies carry a blind-stamp and lack the original printed jacket price.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Harold and the Purple Crayon a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: The true first is the 1955 Harper & Brothers edition. The copyright page reads 'Harper & Brothers' (not the later 'Harper & Row' or 'HarperCollins'), with copyright 1955 and Library of Congress catalog card number 55-7683. The first-issue dust jacket carries the original printed price and the publisher flap codes (a 'No. 5671A'-style code at the foot of the front flap and a corresponding code on the rear flap). The book has no free endpapers: the half-title is the first leaf and the page where Harold falls asleep is the last.
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 1955 is the true first; the 'Harper & Brothers' imprint and 1955 copyright are the principal dating points. Crockett Johnson is the pen name of David Johnson Leisk.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later printings show the 'Harper & Row' imprint and a later copyright date; book-club copies carry a blind-stamp and lack the original printed jacket price.
I have a first edition of Harold and the Purple Crayon — 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.