# Is "The Houdini Box" by Brian Selznick a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Houdini Box by Brian Selznick (Knopf, 1991) is identified by: Selznick's debut picture book, written and illustrated by him. US Knopf is the true first (1991), Selznick's debut.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Selznick's debut picture book, written and illustrated by him
- Alfred A. Knopf first edition, 1991; copyright-page number line running down to 1 for the first printing; first-state jacket intact
- The genuinely scarce issue is the original 1991 Knopf printing
- Publisher imprint reads Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Brian Selznick |
| Publisher | Knopf |
| Year | 1991 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | Selznick's debut picture book, written and illustrated by him |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Selznick's debut picture book, written and illustrated by him. Alfred A. Knopf first edition, 1991; copyright-page number line running down to 1 for the first printing; first-state jacket intact. The genuinely scarce issue is the original 1991 Knopf printing.

## Is this the true first?
US Knopf is the true first (1991), Selznick's debut. It precedes the 2001 Atheneum (Simon & Schuster) reissue and is the scarce collectible.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The 2001 Atheneum reissue is a separate later issue: it adds bonus material (a Houdini biographical note, an illustrated magic trick, research notes, and early sketches) rather than being a full re-illustration. Later printings advance the number line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Houdini Box* by Brian Selznick a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-houdini-box
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.