The points of issue
First printing is identified by the number line 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 on the copyright page (note that it does NOT contain a 1; the lowest number is 3). Roaring Brook Press imprint, then based in Brookfield, Connecticut. Picture-book format with pictorial laminated boards and gatefold spreads; issued without a separate dust jacket as a jacketless laminated picture book. The true-first boards carry no Caldecott Medal seal, awarded in 2004.
Is this the true first?
The US Roaring Brook Press hardcover of 2003 is the true first edition; it won the 2004 Caldecott Medal. The first-printing covers predate the medal seal.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A later printing actually adds a 1 to the front of the number line (e.g. 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 for a subsequent printing), so a number line beginning with 1 indicates a LATER printing, not the first. Reprints also add the Caldecott seal.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Man Who Walked Between the Towers a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First printing is identified by the number line 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 on the copyright page (note that it does NOT contain a 1; the lowest number is 3). Roaring Brook Press imprint, then based in Brookfield, Connecticut. Picture-book format with pictorial laminated boards and gatefold spreads; issued without a separate dust jacket as a jacketless laminated picture book. The true-first boards carry no Caldecott Medal seal, awarded in 2004.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. The US Roaring Brook Press hardcover of 2003 is the true first edition; it won the 2004 Caldecott Medal. The first-printing covers predate the medal seal.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
A later printing actually adds a 1 to the front of the number line (e.g. 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 for a subsequent printing), so a number line beginning with 1 indicates a LATER printing, not the first. Reprints also add the Caldecott seal.
I have a first edition of The Man Who Walked Between the Towers — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.