The points of issue
First printing has a number line ending in 1; Versify imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; Kadir Nelson paintings; true-first jacket carries NO award seals because the Caldecott Medal, Newbery Honor, and Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor were all awarded in 2020, after first publication.
Is this the true first?
The US Versify/HMH 2019 hardcover is the true first. It won the 2020 Caldecott Medal, a 2020 Newbery Honor, and a 2020 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor; the genuine first-printing jacket predates those seals.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings add the medal seals to the jacket. Board-book and paperback formats are not the first edition.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Undefeated a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First printing has a number line ending in 1; Versify imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; Kadir Nelson paintings; true-first jacket carries NO award seals because the Caldecott Medal, Newbery Honor, and Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor were all awarded in 2020, after first publication.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. The US Versify/HMH 2019 hardcover is the true first. It won the 2020 Caldecott Medal, a 2020 Newbery Honor, and a 2020 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor; the genuine first-printing jacket predates those seals.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later printings add the medal seals to the jacket. Board-book and paperback formats are not the first edition.
I have a first edition of The Undefeated — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.