# Is "The Wonder Clock" by Howard Pyle a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Wonder Clock by Howard Pyle (Harper & Brothers, 1888) is identified by: The tales, written by Pyle with verses by his sister Katharine Pyle, first appeared serially in Harper's Young People between 1885 and 1887.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The tales, written by Pyle with verses by his sister Katharine Pyle, first appeared serially in Harper's Young People between 1885 and 1887
- The book was deposited for copyright on 19 October 1887 ('Copyright, 1887, by Harper & Brothers' appears on the copyright page), but the first-edition title page and binding both carry the 1888 date under which the book is properly collected
- Collation is xiv, 318pp, with an illustrated title page and Pyle's line illustrations throughout the text
- The publisher's first-edition binding is gilt-lettered green cloth
- Publisher imprint reads Harper & Brothers
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Howard Pyle |
| Publisher | Harper & Brothers |
| Year | 1888 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | The tales, written by Pyle with verses by his sister Katharine Pyle, first appeared serially in Harper's Young People between 1885 and 1887 |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
The tales, written by Pyle with verses by his sister Katharine Pyle, first appeared serially in Harper's Young People between 1885 and 1887. The book was deposited for copyright on 19 October 1887 ('Copyright, 1887, by Harper & Brothers' appears on the copyright page), but the first-edition title page and binding both carry the 1888 date under which the book is properly collected. Collation is xiv, 318pp, with an illustrated title page and Pyle's line illustrations throughout the text. The publisher's first-edition binding is gilt-lettered green cloth.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Wonder Clock* by Howard Pyle a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-wonder-clock
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.