# Is "Owl Moon" by Jane Yolen (illus. John Schoenherr) a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Owl Moon by Jane Yolen (illus. John Schoenherr) (Philomel Books, 1987) is identified by: First printing has 'First Impression' stated on the copyright page (the Philomel convention) and a first-state jacket WITHOUT the Caldecott Medal seal; John Schoenherr watercolors, with the price present on the jacket flap. US Philomel Books 1987 is the true first; Schoenherr won the 1988 Caldecott Medal, so a gold-seal jacket indicates a later jacket state.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing has 'First Impression' stated on the copyright page (the Philomel convention) and a first-state jacket WITHOUT the Caldecott Medal seal
- John Schoenherr watercolors, with the price present on the jacket flap
- Publisher imprint reads Philomel Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Jane Yolen (illus. John Schoenherr) |
| Publisher | Philomel Books |
| Year | 1987 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | First printing has 'First Impression' stated on the copyright page (the Philomel convention) and a first-state jacket WITHOUT the Caldecott… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing has 'First Impression' stated on the copyright page (the Philomel convention) and a first-state jacket WITHOUT the Caldecott Medal seal; John Schoenherr watercolors, with the price present on the jacket flap.

## Is this the true first?
US Philomel Books 1987 is the true first; Schoenherr won the 1988 Caldecott Medal, so a gold-seal jacket indicates a later jacket state.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings drop the 'First Impression' statement; book-club and reissue jackets add the gold Caldecott seal.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Owl Moon* by Jane Yolen (illus. John Schoenherr) a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/owl-moon
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.