# Is "They Were Strong and Good" by Robert Lawson a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of They Were Strong and Good by Robert Lawson (The Viking Press, 1940) is identified by: The Viking Press imprint; copyright 1940. US true first is the 1940 Viking issue with the 'First Published September 1940' copyright statement.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The Viking Press imprint; copyright 1940
- The first printing states 'First Published September 1940' on the copyright page, with no later-printing notations; second and later 1940 printings are noted as such on the copyright page
- Pictorial cloth with pictorial endpapers; black-and-white illustrations throughout
- The first-issue jacket bears no Caldecott seal (award 1941)
- Publisher imprint reads The Viking Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Robert Lawson |
| Publisher | The Viking Press |
| Year | 1940 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | The Viking Press imprint; copyright 1940 |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
The Viking Press imprint; copyright 1940. The first printing states 'First Published September 1940' on the copyright page, with no later-printing notations; second and later 1940 printings are noted as such on the copyright page. Pictorial cloth with pictorial endpapers; black-and-white illustrations throughout. The first-issue jacket bears no Caldecott seal (award 1941).

## Is this the true first?
US true first is the 1940 Viking issue with the 'First Published September 1940' copyright statement. Later editions softened the racial text, but the collectible first is the 1940 first printing.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Reprints add the medallion to the jacket; later wartime printings use lighter-weight paper. The 'First Published September 1940' statement without added printing notations is the key identifier.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *They Were Strong and Good* by Robert Lawson a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/they-were-strong-and-good
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.