# Is "Very Far Away" by Maurice Sendak a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Very Far Away by Maurice Sendak (Harper & Brothers, 1957) is identified by: Like most Harper children's books of this era, the first printing carries no edition statement (only the 1957 copyright). US Harper & Brothers first, 1957.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Like most Harper children's books of this era, the first printing carries no edition statement (only the 1957 copyright)
- It is identified by the unclipped first-issue color pictorial dust jacket bearing the original printed price with a photo of the young Sendak on the rear panel, and the correct green cloth binding
- Publisher imprint reads Harper & Brothers
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Maurice Sendak |
| Publisher | Harper & Brothers |
| Year | 1957 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | Like most Harper children's books of this era, the first printing carries no edition… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Like most Harper children's books of this era, the first printing carries no edition statement (only the 1957 copyright). It is identified by the unclipped first-issue color pictorial dust jacket bearing the original printed price with a photo of the young Sendak on the rear panel, and the correct green cloth binding.

## Is this the true first?
US Harper & Brothers first, 1957.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions typically lack the printed jacket price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Very Far Away* by Maurice Sendak a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/very-far-away
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.