# Is "Harold and the Purple Crayon" by Crockett Johnson a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson (Harper & Brothers, 1955) is identified by: The true first is the 1955 Harper & Brothers edition. US Harper & Brothers 1955 is the true first; the 'Harper & Brothers' imprint and 1955 copyright are the principal dating points.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- 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
- Publisher imprint reads Harper & Brothers
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Crockett Johnson |
| Publisher | Harper & Brothers |
| Year | 1955 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | The true first is the 1955 Harper & Brothers edition |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## 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.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Harold and the Purple Crayon* by Crockett Johnson a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/harold-and-the-purple-crayon
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.