# Is "When We Were Very Young" by A. A. Milne (illustrated by E. H. Shepard) a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of When We Were Very Young by A. A. Milne (illustrated by E. H. Shepard) (Methuen & Co., 1924) is identified by: UK Methuen first edition, published 6 November 1924, in blue cloth blocked in gilt, top edge gilt. The UK Methuen edition is the true first; the first US edition (E.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- UK Methuen first edition, published 6 November 1924, in blue cloth blocked in gilt, top edge gilt
- The recognised first-issue point is on the contents leaf: in the first state the page number 'ix' is ABSENT (the page is unnumbered); later states have 'ix' printed
- Copyright leaf reads 'First Published in 1924'
- The first-state dust jacket is the priced jacket, with the original published price printed on the spine
- A signed large-paper deluxe limited (100 copies, signed by Milne and Shepard) was also issued
- Publisher imprint reads Methuen & Co.
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | A. A. Milne (illustrated by E. H. Shepard) |
| Publisher | Methuen & Co. |
| Year | 1924 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | UK Methuen first edition, published 6 November 1924, in blue cloth blocked in gilt, top edge gilt |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
UK Methuen first edition, published 6 November 1924, in blue cloth blocked in gilt, top edge gilt. The recognised first-issue point is on the contents leaf: in the first state the page number 'ix' is ABSENT (the page is unnumbered); later states have 'ix' printed. Copyright leaf reads 'First Published in 1924'. The first-state dust jacket is the priced jacket, with the original published price printed on the spine. A signed large-paper deluxe limited (100 copies, signed by Milne and Shepard) was also issued.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Methuen edition is the true first; the first US edition (E. P. Dutton, 1924) follows. This was the debut of Christopher Robin in print and predates the Pooh stories. Both are collected; Methuen precedes.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Presence of 'ix' printed on the contents leaf marks a later state within the first edition; an edition/impression statement on the verso marks a later printing. The US Dutton edition lacks the Methuen imprint. A printed ISBN indicates a modern reprint.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *When We Were Very Young* by A. A. Milne (illustrated by E. H. Shepard) a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/when-we-were-very-young
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.