# Is "Henry Huggins" by Beverly Cleary a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Henry Huggins by Beverly Cleary (William Morrow, 1950) is identified by: William Morrow US first, Cleary's first book. US Morrow first edition is the true first; Cleary's debut.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- William Morrow US first, Cleary's first book
- Early Morrow titles predate number lines, so identify by a 1950 copyright date with no additional-printing statement on the copyright page, plus the first-issue jacket bearing the original printed price
- Red cloth boards with a black illustration of Henry carrying Ribsy in a box; illustrated by Louis Darling
- Publisher imprint reads William Morrow
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Beverly Cleary |
| Publisher | William Morrow |
| Year | 1950 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | William Morrow US first, Cleary's first book |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
William Morrow US first, Cleary's first book. Early Morrow titles predate number lines, so identify by a 1950 copyright date with no additional-printing statement on the copyright page, plus the first-issue jacket bearing the original printed price. Red cloth boards with a black illustration of Henry carrying Ribsy in a box; illustrated by Louis Darling.

## Is this the true first?
US Morrow first edition is the true first; Cleary's debut. For early-1950s Morrow titles use date-match plus absence of a later-printing notation rather than a number line; note this is not foolproof, so a jacket in a matching first-issue state strengthens the identification.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions are unpriced, may show a book-club blind stamp on the rear board, and are on cheaper stock; later trade printings add a printing statement (for example 'second printing') to the copyright page.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Henry Huggins* by Beverly Cleary a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/henry-huggins
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.