The points of issue
Doubleday, Doran & Company imprint; copyright 1938. Per Doubleday convention of the period, the first printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page; later reprints drop that statement. Orange cloth with gilt lettering (Chinese characters to the upper board, English to the spine); pictorial endpapers; black-and-white lithograph illustrations. The first-issue jacket bears no Caldecott seal (award announced 1939).
Is this the true first?
US true first is the 1938 Doubleday, Doran issue with the stated 'First Edition' on the copyright page. Later Doubleday & Company imprint copies are reprints.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Reprints add the Caldecott medallion to the jacket, use the later 'Doubleday & Company' imprint, and lack the 'First Edition' copyright-page statement.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Mei Li a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Doubleday, Doran & Company imprint; copyright 1938. Per Doubleday convention of the period, the first printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page; later reprints drop that statement. Orange cloth with gilt lettering (Chinese characters to the upper board, English to the spine); pictorial endpapers; black-and-white lithograph illustrations. The first-issue jacket bears no Caldecott seal (award announced 1939).
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. US true first is the 1938 Doubleday, Doran issue with the stated 'First Edition' on the copyright page. Later Doubleday & Company imprint copies are reprints.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Reprints add the Caldecott medallion to the jacket, use the later 'Doubleday & Company' imprint, and lack the 'First Edition' copyright-page statement.
I have a first edition of Mei Li — 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.