# Is "The Composer Is Dead" by Lemony Snicket (Daniel Handler) a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Composer Is Dead by Lemony Snicket (Daniel Handler) (HarperCollins, 2009) is identified by: Picture book issued with an accompanying audio CD, illustrated by Carson Ellis, music by Nathaniel Stookey performed by the San Francisco Symphony. US HarperCollins first edition, published March 2009.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Picture book issued with an accompanying audio CD, illustrated by Carson Ellis, music by Nathaniel Stookey performed by the San Francisco Symphony
- First printing has a complete number line ending in 1 on the copyright page
- HarperCollins, 2009
- Complete copies retain the CD
- Publisher imprint reads HarperCollins
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Lemony Snicket (Daniel Handler) |
| Publisher | HarperCollins |
| Year | 2009 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | Picture book issued with an accompanying audio CD, illustrated by Carson Ellis, music by… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Picture book issued with an accompanying audio CD, illustrated by Carson Ellis, music by Nathaniel Stookey performed by the San Francisco Symphony. First printing has a complete number line ending in 1 on the copyright page. HarperCollins, 2009. Complete copies retain the CD.

## Is this the true first?
US HarperCollins first edition, published March 2009. The accompanying CD must be present for a complete copy.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings advance the number line so the 1 no longer appears; confirm the CD is still present regardless of printing.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Composer Is Dead* by Lemony Snicket (Daniel Handler) a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-composer-is-dead
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.