# Is "The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin" by Beatrix Potter a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin by Beatrix Potter (Frederick Warne & Co., 1903) is identified by: First edition, 1903, Frederick Warne & Co. Frederick Warne (London) is the true first; copies were also distributed in the United States, but the UK Warne edition takes precedence.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, 1903, Frederick Warne & Co
- Original boards with a pictorial onlay mounted on the front cover and color illustrations throughout
- This is the book in which Potter's now-familiar pictorial series endpapers were introduced
- Early copies carry the publisher's 36 East 22d Street New York address on the title leaf
- Note that bibliographers regard the first-edition first and second issues of this title as essentially indistinguishable, so do not rely on a precise issue point
- Publisher imprint reads Frederick Warne & Co.
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Beatrix Potter |
| Publisher | Frederick Warne & Co. |
| Year | 1903 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | First edition, 1903, Frederick Warne & Co |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First edition, 1903, Frederick Warne & Co. Original boards with a pictorial onlay mounted on the front cover and color illustrations throughout. This is the book in which Potter's now-familiar pictorial series endpapers were introduced. Early copies carry the publisher's 36 East 22d Street New York address on the title leaf. Note that bibliographers regard the first-edition first and second issues of this title as essentially indistinguishable, so do not rely on a precise issue point.

## Is this the true first?
Frederick Warne (London) is the true first; copies were also distributed in the United States, but the UK Warne edition takes precedence.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
As a rough dating aid, the list of Potter titles advertised in the book grows over successive printings, so a longer list indicates a later printing. A printed ISBN or modern jacket indicates a much later reprint.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin* by Beatrix Potter a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-tale-of-squirrel-nutkin
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.