# Is "McElligot's Pool" by Dr. Seuss a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of McElligot's Pool by Dr. Seuss (Random House, 1947) is identified by: First printing shows the open-mouthed fish on the front cover/boards and a seven-line copyright notice; later printings have a closed-mouth fish and a shorter three-line copyright statement. US Random House first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing shows the open-mouthed fish on the front cover/boards and a seven-line copyright notice; later printings have a closed-mouth fish and a shorter three-line copyright statement
- The first-issue dust jacket carries the original 200/200 price code on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Dr. Seuss |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1947 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | First printing shows the open-mouthed fish on the front cover/boards and a seven-line… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing shows the open-mouthed fish on the front cover/boards and a seven-line copyright notice; later printings have a closed-mouth fish and a shorter three-line copyright statement. The first-issue dust jacket carries the original 200/200 price code on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
US Random House first edition. The reliable first-printing points are the open-mouthed fish and seven-line copyright, plus the 200/200 first-issue jacket price code.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club copies typically lack a jacket price code; later trade printings show the closed-mouth fish and shorter copyright.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *McElligot's Pool* by Dr. Seuss a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/mcelligots-pool
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.