The points of issue
First-issue dust jacket carries the printed price on the front flap with the code '1070' at the lower front flap and exactly seven titles listed on the rear flap; no Caldecott Honor seal is printed on the jacket (added on later printings). Bound in cream cloth with the pictorial paste-on label to the front board.
Is this the true first?
The US Harper & Row 1970 edition is the true first; Sendak was American and Harper was his primary publisher, and the Bodley Head UK edition followed. The book was a 1971 Caldecott Honor recipient, so first-issue jackets predate any Caldecott seal.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions are smaller, lack the '1070' jacket code and the printed price, are printed on thinner paper, and often have a blind-stamped indentation on the rear board; later printings add the Caldecott Honor seal to the jacket.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of In the Night Kitchen a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First-issue dust jacket carries the printed price on the front flap with the code '1070' at the lower front flap and exactly seven titles listed on the rear flap; no Caldecott Honor seal is printed on the jacket (added on later printings). Bound in cream cloth with the pictorial paste-on label to the front board.
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. The US Harper & Row 1970 edition is the true first; Sendak was American and Harper was his primary publisher, and the Bodley Head UK edition followed. The book was a 1971 Caldecott Honor recipient, so first-issue jackets predate any Caldecott seal.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Book-club editions are smaller, lack the '1070' jacket code and the printed price, are printed on thinner paper, and often have a blind-stamped indentation on the rear board; later printings add the Caldecott Honor seal to the jacket.
I have a first edition of In the Night Kitchen — 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.