# Is "King of the Wind" by Marguerite Henry a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of King of the Wind by Marguerite Henry (Rand McNally & Company, 1948) is identified by: First edition 1948, Rand McNally (Chicago). US true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition 1948, Rand McNally (Chicago)
- The first printing is identified by the letter A on the copyright page (Rand McNally's first-printing code) together with the 1948 date and no later-printing statement
- Color and black-and-white illustrations by Wesley Dennis; red cloth with gilt spine and front-cover decoration, illustrated endpapers
- First-issue copies have no Newbery seal on the cover
- Publisher imprint reads Rand McNally & Company
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Marguerite Henry |
| Publisher | Rand McNally & Company |
| Year | 1948 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | First edition 1948, Rand McNally (Chicago) |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First edition 1948, Rand McNally (Chicago). The first printing is identified by the letter A on the copyright page (Rand McNally's first-printing code) together with the 1948 date and no later-printing statement. Color and black-and-white illustrations by Wesley Dennis; red cloth with gilt spine and front-cover decoration, illustrated endpapers. First-issue copies have no Newbery seal on the cover.

## Is this the true first?
US true first. Awarded the Newbery Medal in 1949.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Rand McNally printings change or drop the letter code; reprints add the Newbery seal. Marguerite Henry titles were widely reprinted.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *King of the Wind* by Marguerite Henry a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/king-of-the-wind
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.