# Is "Higglety Pigglety Pop! or, There Must Be More to Life" by Maurice Sendak a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Higglety Pigglety Pop! or, There Must Be More to Life by Maurice Sendak (Harper & Row, 1967) is identified by: First printing has 1967 on the copyright page with no statement of a later printing, no 'First Edition' slug, and no number line on the final leaf (Harper & Row did not begin adding number lines until 1969). The US Harper & Row 1967 edition is the true first; the Bodley Head UK edition is later.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing has 1967 on the copyright page with no statement of a later printing, no 'First Edition' slug, and no number line on the final leaf (Harper & Row did not begin adding number lines until 1969)
- First-issue jacket carries the original price and the early, short list of Sendak titles on the rear flap; longer title lists indicate later printings
- Brown cloth with a color pictorial pastedown label of Jennie the terrier on the front board, gilt spine title, and red-stained top edges
- Publisher imprint reads Harper & Row
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Maurice Sendak |
| Publisher | Harper & Row |
| Year | 1967 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | First printing has 1967 on the copyright page with no statement of a later printing, no 'First Edition' slug, and no number line on the… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing has 1967 on the copyright page with no statement of a later printing, no 'First Edition' slug, and no number line on the final leaf (Harper & Row did not begin adding number lines until 1969). First-issue jacket carries the original price and the early, short list of Sendak titles on the rear flap; longer title lists indicate later printings. Brown cloth with a color pictorial pastedown label of Jennie the terrier on the front board, gilt spine title, and red-stained top edges.

## Is this the true first?
The US Harper & Row 1967 edition is the true first; the Bodley Head UK edition is later. The first printing precedes any book-club state.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club issues use cheaper boards, are commonly slightly reduced in trim, often lack the price on the jacket, and frequently carry a circular blind-stamp on the rear board.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Higglety Pigglety Pop! or, There Must Be More to Life* by Maurice Sendak a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/higglety-pigglety-pop-or-there-must-be-more-to-life
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.