# Is "The Cat in the Hat Comes Back" by Dr. Seuss a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Cat in the Hat Comes Back by Dr. Seuss (Random House, 1958) is identified by: Beginner Books B-2, with 'B-2' on the jacket spine. US first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Beginner Books B-2, with 'B-2' on the jacket spine
- First-issue jacket priced 195/195 (the printed price) on the front flap
- Early-issue rear panel lists only the first six Beginner Books (B-2 through B-6), all at the printed price, with no later titles
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Dr. Seuss |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1958 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | Beginner Books B-2, with 'B-2' on the jacket spine |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Beginner Books B-2, with 'B-2' on the jacket spine. First-issue jacket priced 195/195 (the printed price) on the front flap. Early-issue rear panel lists only the first six Beginner Books (B-2 through B-6), all at the printed price, with no later titles.

## Is this the true first?
US first. Beginner Books series; identify via the B-2 spine designation and the six-title rear-panel list.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions lack the flap price and carry book-club notation.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Cat in the Hat Comes Back* by Dr. Seuss a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-cat-in-the-hat-comes-back
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.