# Is "Onion John" by Joseph Krumgold a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Onion John by Joseph Krumgold (Thomas Y. Crowell Company, 1959) is identified by: First edition, first printing: Thomas Y. US true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, first printing: Thomas Y. Crowell Company, New York, 1959
- The first printing is stated First Printing on the copyright page, dated 1959
- Cherry-red cloth lettered in black; full- and half-page line drawings by Symeon Shimin
- First-issue jacket without the Newbery Medal seal (Medal awarded 1960)
- Publisher imprint reads Thomas Y. Crowell Company
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Joseph Krumgold |
| Publisher | Thomas Y. Crowell Company |
| Year | 1959 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | First edition, first printing: Thomas Y. Crowell Company, New York, 1959 |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First edition, first printing: Thomas Y. Crowell Company, New York, 1959. The first printing is stated First Printing on the copyright page, dated 1959. Cherry-red cloth lettered in black; full- and half-page line drawings by Symeon Shimin. First-issue jacket without the Newbery Medal seal (Medal awarded 1960).

## Is this the true first?
US true first. Awarded the Newbery Medal in 1960.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Crowell first printings carry a stated First Printing on the copyright page; later printings change or drop this statement. Post-award copies and jackets add the Newbery seal.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Onion John* by Joseph Krumgold a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/onion-john
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.