# Is "Smoky the Cowhorse" by Will James a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Smoky the Cowhorse by Will James (Charles Scribner's Sons, 1926) is identified by: True first published 1926 (Newbery Medal 1927). US true first (Scribner, New York).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- True first published 1926 (Newbery Medal 1927)
- The title page is dated 1926 and the copyright page carries the Scribner seal/colophon with only three lines and no later-printing statement
- A reliable text point: the typographical error 'hou gt' for 'thought' appears at the foot of page 44 in the first printing
- Bound in green cloth with the title stamped in black and a horse head stamped in red on the front cover; illustrated by the author
- Publisher imprint reads Charles Scribner's Sons
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Will James |
| Publisher | Charles Scribner's Sons |
| Year | 1926 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | True first published 1926 (Newbery Medal 1927) |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
True first published 1926 (Newbery Medal 1927). The title page is dated 1926 and the copyright page carries the Scribner seal/colophon with only three lines and no later-printing statement. A reliable text point: the typographical error 'hou gt' for 'thought' appears at the foot of page 44 in the first printing. Bound in green cloth with the title stamped in black and a horse head stamped in red on the front cover; illustrated by the author.

## Is this the true first?
US true first (Scribner, New York). Will James illustrated it himself.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The September 1926 reprint and later printings add a 'Reprinted [month] 1926/1927' line on the copyright page; the first printing has none. Many listings labeled 'first edition' are in fact this stated September 1926 reprint, so verify the copyright page and the page-44 typo.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Smoky the Cowhorse* by Will James a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/smoky-the-cowhorse
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.