# Is "The Cricket in Times Square" by George Selden (illus. Garth Williams) a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden (illus. Garth Williams) (Ariel Books / Farrar, Straus and Cudahy, 1960) is identified by: The true first is the 1960 edition issued under the Ariel Books imprint of Farrar, Straus and Cudahy, with Garth Williams illustrations, bound in light boards with the spine stamped in dark brown. US Ariel Books / Farrar, Straus and Cudahy 1960 is the true first; a 1961 Newbery Honor book.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The true first is the 1960 edition issued under the Ariel Books imprint of Farrar, Straus and Cudahy, with Garth Williams illustrations, bound in light boards with the spine stamped in dark brown
- The 'Farrar, Straus and Cudahy' imprint dates it (the firm became Farrar, Straus & Giroux only later)
- The first-state jacket retains the original printed price on the flap and does NOT bear the Newbery Honor seal
- Publisher imprint reads Ariel Books / Farrar, Straus and Cudahy
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | George Selden (illus. Garth Williams) |
| Publisher | Ariel Books / Farrar, Straus and Cudahy |
| Year | 1960 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | The true first is the 1960 edition issued under the Ariel Books imprint of Farrar, Straus and Cudahy, with Garth Williams illustrations… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The true first is the 1960 edition issued under the Ariel Books imprint of Farrar, Straus and Cudahy, with Garth Williams illustrations, bound in light boards with the spine stamped in dark brown. The 'Farrar, Straus and Cudahy' imprint dates it (the firm became Farrar, Straus & Giroux only later). The first-state jacket retains the original printed price on the flap and does NOT bear the Newbery Honor seal.

## Is this the true first?
US Ariel Books / Farrar, Straus and Cudahy 1960 is the true first; a 1961 Newbery Honor book. The 'and Cudahy' imprint is the principal dating point.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings and book-club editions show the 'Farrar, Straus & Giroux' imprint, may add the Newbery Honor seal to the jacket, and can carry a blind-stamp.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Cricket in Times Square* by George Selden (illus. Garth Williams) a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-cricket-in-times-square
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.