# Is "The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me" by Roald Dahl a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me by Roald Dahl (Jonathan Cape, 1985) is identified by: UK Cape first, dated 1985, identified by the standard Cape copyright statement (First published with the date, later printings stated beneath). UK Cape true first; a US Farrar, Straus and Giroux edition followed in 1985.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- UK Cape first, dated 1985, identified by the standard Cape copyright statement (First published with the date, later printings stated beneath)
- Issued in laminated pictorial boards with the price printed to the rear board and no dust jacket, so there is no first-issue jacket to check
- Illustrated by Quentin Blake
- Publisher imprint reads Jonathan Cape
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Roald Dahl |
| Publisher | Jonathan Cape |
| Year | 1985 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | UK Cape first, dated 1985, identified by the standard Cape copyright statement (First… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
UK Cape first, dated 1985, identified by the standard Cape copyright statement (First published with the date, later printings stated beneath). Issued in laminated pictorial boards with the price printed to the rear board and no dust jacket, so there is no first-issue jacket to check. Illustrated by Quentin Blake.

## Is this the true first?
UK Cape true first; a US Farrar, Straus and Giroux edition followed in 1985.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club printings are later issues.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me* by Roald Dahl a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-giraffe-and-the-pelly-and-me
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.