The points of issue
First edition 1931, Longmans, Green and Co. (New York and Toronto). Title-page dated 1931 with no later-printing statement on the copyright page. Illustrations by Sidney Armer and Laura Adams Armer (frontispiece plus full-page plates); endpapers reproduce 'The Whirling Logs' sand painting from the Navajo Night Chant; cloth boards with title and illustration stamped on spine and front board. Original dust jacket notes the Longmans juvenile fiction prize.
Is this the true first?
US true first. Newbery Medal 1932.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Longmans printings add printing notices to the copyright page; any added printing statement marks a later printing.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Waterless Mountain a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First edition 1931, Longmans, Green and Co. (New York and Toronto). Title-page dated 1931 with no later-printing statement on the copyright page. Illustrations by Sidney Armer and Laura Adams Armer (frontispiece plus full-page plates); endpapers reproduce 'The Whirling Logs' sand painting from the Navajo Night Chant; cloth boards with title and illustration stamped on spine and front board. Original dust jacket notes the Longmans juvenile fiction prize.
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. US true first. Newbery Medal 1932.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later Longmans printings add printing notices to the copyright page; any added printing statement marks a later printing.
I have a first edition of Waterless Mountain — 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.