# Is "Now We Are Six" by A. A. Milne (illustrated by E. H. Shepard) a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Now We Are Six by A. A. Milne (illustrated by E. H. Shepard) (Methuen & Co., 1927) is identified by: UK Methuen first edition, published October 1927: standard trade issue in maroon/dark-red cloth with gilt ruling and gilt vignettes (Christopher Robin with toy train to the front board, Pooh and Piglet to the rear), gilt spine lettering, top edge gilt, the rest uncut; pink endpapers illustrated by Shepard. The UK Methuen edition is the true first, ahead of the US E.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- UK Methuen first edition, published October 1927: standard trade issue in maroon/dark-red cloth with gilt ruling and gilt vignettes (Christopher Robin with toy train to the front board, Pooh and Piglet to the rear), gilt spine lettering, top edge gilt, the rest uncut; pink endpapers illustrated by Shepard
- Copyright leaf reads 'First Published in 1927' with no later-impression statement
- The first-state dust jacket carries the original published price printed on the spine
- A signed large-paper deluxe limited of 200 copies was also issued — in salmon/orange paper-covered boards with a buckram spine and a printed paper label to the front board, signed by Milne and Shepard
- Publisher imprint reads Methuen & Co.
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | A. A. Milne (illustrated by E. H. Shepard) |
| Publisher | Methuen & Co. |
| Year | 1927 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | UK Methuen first edition, published October 1927: standard trade issue in maroon/dark-red cloth with gilt ruling and gilt vignettes… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
UK Methuen first edition, published October 1927: standard trade issue in maroon/dark-red cloth with gilt ruling and gilt vignettes (Christopher Robin with toy train to the front board, Pooh and Piglet to the rear), gilt spine lettering, top edge gilt, the rest uncut; pink endpapers illustrated by Shepard. Copyright leaf reads 'First Published in 1927' with no later-impression statement. The first-state dust jacket carries the original published price printed on the spine. A signed large-paper deluxe limited of 200 copies was also issued — in salmon/orange paper-covered boards with a buckram spine and a printed paper label to the front board, signed by Milne and Shepard.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Methuen edition is the true first, ahead of the US E. P. Dutton 1927 edition. Both are collected; Methuen precedes.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Reprints carry an edition or impression statement on the verso. The genuine deluxe is the 200-copy large-paper issue in paper boards (not leather or vellum). A printed ISBN indicates a modern reprint.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Now We Are Six* by A. A. Milne (illustrated by E. H. Shepard) a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/now-we-are-six
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.