The points of issue
First printing is identified by Harcourt's letter line ending in A (not a number line); Harcourt Brace & Company imprint (San Diego); Diaz acrylic-and-collage illustrations on glossy laminated pictorial boards. True first jacket has no Caldecott seal.
Is this the true first?
The US Harcourt Brace 1994 edition is the true first; it won the 1995 Caldecott Medal, so the first-printing jacket predates the medal. A second printing in the same year exists with the letter line ending in B.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings add the Caldecott seal; the same-year second printing ends in B; book-club editions are unpriced.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Smoky Night a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First printing is identified by Harcourt's letter line ending in A (not a number line); Harcourt Brace & Company imprint (San Diego); Diaz acrylic-and-collage illustrations on glossy laminated pictorial boards. True first jacket has no Caldecott seal.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. The US Harcourt Brace 1994 edition is the true first; it won the 1995 Caldecott Medal, so the first-printing jacket predates the medal. A second printing in the same year exists with the letter line ending in B.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later printings add the Caldecott seal; the same-year second printing ends in B; book-club editions are unpriced.
I have a first edition of Smoky Night — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.