# Is "The Story of Ferdinand" by Munro Leaf (illus. Robert Lawson) a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf (illus. Robert Lawson) (The Viking Press, 1936) is identified by: First edition, first printing has 'First published September 1936' on the copyright page with no later-printing statement, bound in pink/decorated paper-covered boards backed with a tan cloth spine (small octavo), pictorial endpapers, Robert Lawson illustrations; first-issue jacket carries the original price on the front flap. US Viking Press 1936 is the true first; the Hamish Hamilton UK edition is later.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, first printing has 'First published September 1936' on the copyright page with no later-printing statement, bound in pink/decorated paper-covered boards backed with a tan cloth spine (small octavo), pictorial endpapers, Robert Lawson illustrations; first-issue jacket carries the original price on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads The Viking Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Munro Leaf (illus. Robert Lawson) |
| Publisher | The Viking Press |
| Year | 1936 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | First edition, first printing has 'First published September 1936' on the copyright page with no later-printing statement, bound in… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition, first printing has 'First published September 1936' on the copyright page with no later-printing statement, bound in pink/decorated paper-covered boards backed with a tan cloth spine (small octavo), pictorial endpapers, Robert Lawson illustrations; first-issue jacket carries the original price on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
US Viking Press 1936 is the true first; the Hamish Hamilton UK edition is later. First printings in jacket are scarce.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions carry a blind-stamp and drop the original price; later Viking printings note additional impressions and omit the 'First published September 1936' line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Story of Ferdinand* by Munro Leaf (illus. Robert Lawson) a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-story-of-ferdinand
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.