# Is "The Seven Lady Godivas" by Dr. Seuss a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Seven Lady Godivas by Dr. Seuss (Random House, 1939) is identified by: First printing has 'FIRST PRINTING' stated on the copyright page. Seuss's only book written for adults; a commercial failure that was remaindered, so genuine firsts are scarce.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing has 'FIRST PRINTING' stated on the copyright page
- Bound in textured salmon/pink cloth boards with the Godiva coat of arms stamped in brown on the front cover and a dark cloth spine with gilt lettering
- First-issue pictorial dust jacket carries the original printed price on the front flap; a rare die-cut color bookmark was issued with the book
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Dr. Seuss |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1939 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | First printing has 'FIRST PRINTING' stated on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First printing has 'FIRST PRINTING' stated on the copyright page. Bound in textured salmon/pink cloth boards with the Godiva coat of arms stamped in brown on the front cover and a dark cloth spine with gilt lettering. First-issue pictorial dust jacket carries the original printed price on the front flap; a rare die-cut color bookmark was issued with the book.

## Is this the true first?
Seuss's only book written for adults; a commercial failure that was remaindered, so genuine firsts are scarce. US Random House 1939 is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later or remaindered copies lack the stated 'FIRST PRINTING' and may show a revised jacket price; rely on the copyright-page statement and binding.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Seven Lady Godivas* by Dr. Seuss a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-seven-lady-godivas
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.