# Is "My Many Colored Days" by Dr. Seuss (illustrated by Steve Johnson & Lou Fancher) a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss (illustrated by Steve Johnson & Lou Fancher) (Alfred A. Knopf, 1996) is identified by: Published posthumously from a 1973 Seuss draft, illustrated with paintings by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher. US Alfred A.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Published posthumously from a 1973 Seuss draft, illustrated with paintings by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher
- First printing carries the Knopf full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page, with the correct first-issue dust jacket bearing the original printed price
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Dr. Seuss (illustrated by Steve Johnson & Lou Fancher) |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1996 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | Published posthumously from a 1973 Seuss draft, illustrated with paintings by Steve… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Published posthumously from a 1973 Seuss draft, illustrated with paintings by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher. First printing carries the Knopf full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page, with the correct first-issue dust jacket bearing the original printed price.

## Is this the true first?
US Alfred A. Knopf first, published posthumously in 1996 (Seuss died in 1991).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions typically lack a printed jacket price and may not carry the full number line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *My Many Colored Days* by Dr. Seuss (illustrated by Steve Johnson & Lou Fancher) a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/my-many-colored-days
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.