# Is "Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories" by Dr. Seuss a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories by Dr. Seuss (Random House, 1958) is identified by: Copyright page shows 1950, 1951, and 1958 dates. US Random House first edition, first printing.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Copyright page shows 1950, 1951, and 1958 dates
- First-issue jacket priced 295/295 (the printed price) on the front flap, with fourteen Dr
- Seuss titles pictured on the rear panel (Mulberry Street top left, the Grinch bottom right)
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Dr. Seuss |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1958 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | Copyright page shows 1950, 1951, and 1958 dates |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Copyright page shows 1950, 1951, and 1958 dates. First-issue jacket priced 295/295 (the printed price) on the front flap, with fourteen Dr. Seuss titles pictured on the rear panel (Mulberry Street top left, the Grinch bottom right).

## Is this the true first?
US Random House first edition, first printing.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions lack the flap price; later printings revise the rear-panel title array.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories* by Dr. Seuss a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/yertle-the-turtle-and-other-stories
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.