The points of issue
Copyright page states 'first edition' with a full number line including 1 (Candlewick format); black paper over boards. True first dust jacket carries no Caldecott or Kate Greenaway medal seal.
Is this the true first?
The US Candlewick edition (Somerville, MA) is the trade first; a UK Walker edition appeared the same year. The book won the 2013 Caldecott Medal and the 2014 CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal, so the true first predates both seals.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings add medal seals to the jacket; the board-book adaptation is not a first edition.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of This Is Not My Hat a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Copyright page states 'first edition' with a full number line including 1 (Candlewick format); black paper over boards. True first dust jacket carries no Caldecott or Kate Greenaway medal seal.
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 Candlewick edition (Somerville, MA) is the trade first; a UK Walker edition appeared the same year. The book won the 2013 Caldecott Medal and the 2014 CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal, so the true first predates both seals.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later printings add medal seals to the jacket; the board-book adaptation is not a first edition.
I have a first edition of This Is Not My Hat — 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.