# Is "The Mouse and the Motorcycle" by Beverly Cleary a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary (William Morrow, 1965) is identified by: William Morrow first edition, published 1965, with the copyright page bearing no statement of a later printing or additional impressions. The US William Morrow edition of 1965 is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- William Morrow first edition, published 1965, with the copyright page bearing no statement of a later printing or additional impressions
- Illustrated by Louis Darling
- First-issue dust jacket carries the original front-flap price and is not price-clipped
- Publisher imprint reads William Morrow
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Beverly Cleary |
| Publisher | William Morrow |
| Year | 1965 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | William Morrow first edition, published 1965, with the copyright page bearing no… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
William Morrow first edition, published 1965, with the copyright page bearing no statement of a later printing or additional impressions. Illustrated by Louis Darling. First-issue dust jacket carries the original front-flap price and is not price-clipped.

## Is this the true first?
The US William Morrow edition of 1965 is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Weekly Reader and other book-club editions are unpriced and typically lack the Morrow dust jacket points; some show a book-club blind stamp to the rear board.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Mouse and the Motorcycle* by Beverly Cleary a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-mouse-and-the-motorcycle
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.