# Is "Revolting Rhymes" by Roald Dahl a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Revolting Rhymes by Roald Dahl (Jonathan Cape, 1982) is identified by: UK Cape first dated 1982 with a single 'First published' statement. UK Cape true first (1982); US Knopf edition 1983.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- UK Cape first dated 1982 with a single 'First published' statement
- Issued in glazed pictorial boards with a colour illustration to the upper cover by Quentin Blake; no dust jacket was issued
- Dahl's first collection of verse for children
- Publisher imprint reads Jonathan Cape
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Roald Dahl |
| Publisher | Jonathan Cape |
| Year | 1982 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | UK Cape first dated 1982 with a single 'First published' statement |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
UK Cape first dated 1982 with a single 'First published' statement. Issued in glazed pictorial boards with a colour illustration to the upper cover by Quentin Blake; no dust jacket was issued. Dahl's first collection of verse for children.

## Is this the true first?
UK Cape true first (1982); US Knopf edition 1983.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings add a printing statement; the true first shows only the single 'First published 1982' line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Revolting Rhymes* by Roald Dahl a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/revolting-rhymes
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.