# Is "Party at the Zoo" by Theodore Roethke a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Party at the Zoo by Theodore Roethke (Crowell-Collier, 1963) is identified by: Children's picture book in the Modern Masters Books for Children series, illustrated by Al Swiller. US Crowell-Collier Press (1963); a minor children's title in the Modern Masters series alongside Graves, Wilbur, and others.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Children's picture book in the Modern Masters Books for Children series, illustrated by Al Swiller
- First edition, The Crowell-Collier Press, 1963, issued in pictorial boards (no dust jacket)
- Publisher imprint reads Crowell-Collier
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Theodore Roethke |
| Publisher | Crowell-Collier |
| Year | 1963 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Children's picture book in the Modern Masters Books for Children series, illustrated by… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Children's picture book in the Modern Masters Books for Children series, illustrated by Al Swiller. First edition, The Crowell-Collier Press, 1963, issued in pictorial boards (no dust jacket).

## Is this the true first?
US Crowell-Collier Press (1963); a minor children's title in the Modern Masters series alongside Graves, Wilbur, and others.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Party at the Zoo* by Theodore Roethke a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/party-at-the-zoo
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.