# Is "The Shape of Me and Other Stuff" by Dr. Seuss a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Shape of Me and Other Stuff by Dr. Seuss (Random House, 1973) is identified by: A Bright & Early Book, copyright 1973. US Bright & Early Books (Random House) first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- A Bright & Early Book, copyright 1973
- The determinative first-printing point is the full number line on the copyright page (a complete unbroken 1-through-0 sequence); later printings drop low digits
- The rear panel carries the period-correct Bright & Early / Seuss title list
- Some copies exist in a period pictorial dust jacket, but the number line is the reliable point
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Dr. Seuss |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1973 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | A Bright & Early Book, copyright 1973 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
A Bright & Early Book, copyright 1973. The determinative first-printing point is the full number line on the copyright page (a complete unbroken 1-through-0 sequence); later printings drop low digits. The rear panel carries the period-correct Bright & Early / Seuss title list. Some copies exist in a period pictorial dust jacket, but the number line is the reliable point.

## Is this the true first?
US Bright & Early Books (Random House) first edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club and later reprints show a shortened number line and an expanded back-panel title list; confirm the complete number line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Shape of Me and Other Stuff* by Dr. Seuss a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-shape-of-me-and-other-stuff
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.