# Is "The Halloween Tree" by Ray Bradbury a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury (Alfred A. Knopf, 1972) is identified by: US Knopf first edition, 1972, with the Borzoi imprint and 1972 on the copyright page; illustrated by Joseph Mugnaini. US Knopf first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Knopf first edition, 1972, with the Borzoi imprint and 1972 on the copyright page; illustrated by Joseph Mugnaini
- Bound in black cloth, the front board stamped in red and the spine lettered in red and silver, with orange-stained top edge and orange endpapers
- The first-issue dust jacket shows Mugnaini's windy tree on a cream background and carries the original lower printed price on the front flap (the flap price, not the date, is the reliable tell, since later issues bear a much higher flap price)
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ray Bradbury |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1972 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Knopf first edition, 1972, with the Borzoi imprint and 1972 on the copyright page; illustrated by Joseph Mugnaini |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
US Knopf first edition, 1972, with the Borzoi imprint and 1972 on the copyright page; illustrated by Joseph Mugnaini. Bound in black cloth, the front board stamped in red and the spine lettered in red and silver, with orange-stained top edge and orange endpapers. The first-issue dust jacket shows Mugnaini's windy tree on a cream background and carries the original lower printed price on the front flap (the flap price, not the date, is the reliable tell, since later issues bear a much higher flap price).

## Is this the true first?
US Knopf first edition. Because the 1972 date persists on later Knopf states, identify the true first by the cream windy-tree jacket and the original low front-flap price rather than the copyright date alone.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club printings carry the same 1972 date but show a blind-stamped mark on the rear board and a jacket lacking the original printed flap price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Halloween Tree* by Ray Bradbury a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-halloween-tree
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.