# Is "The Twenty-One Balloons" by William Pène du Bois a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Twenty-One Balloons by William Pène du Bois (The Viking Press, 1947) is identified by: First edition 1947, Viking (New York). US true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition 1947, Viking (New York)
- The copyright page reads First Published by the Viking Press in April 1947, with no further printings or number line present
- Author-illustrated by William Pène du Bois; first-issue jacket bears no Newbery Medal seal
- Publisher imprint reads The Viking Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | William Pène du Bois |
| Publisher | The Viking Press |
| Year | 1947 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | First edition 1947, Viking (New York) |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First edition 1947, Viking (New York). The copyright page reads First Published by the Viking Press in April 1947, with no further printings or number line present. Author-illustrated by William Pène du Bois; first-issue jacket bears no Newbery Medal seal.

## Is this the true first?
US true first. Awarded the Newbery Medal in 1948.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Viking later printings list additional printings on the verso; jackets bearing the Newbery seal are later states.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Twenty-One Balloons* by William Pène du Bois a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-twenty-one-balloons
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.