The points of issue
First edition 1932, John C. Winston Company (Philadelphia). Copyright page dated 1932 with no added later-printing line. Thick octavo in black pictorial cloth stamped in gilt (title and illustration on front board and spine); illustrated by Kurt Wiese with black-and-white art plus color plates (frontispiece and additional plates) and toned/illustrated endpapers.
Is this the true first?
US true first. Newbery Medal 1933.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Winston printings and revised/updated editions are not firsts; check the copyright page for any added printing statement. Note that a Newbery Medal announcement leaf is frequently tipped in at the front; this leaf was added after the award and its presence does not by itself indicate a later printing.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First edition 1932, John C. Winston Company (Philadelphia). Copyright page dated 1932 with no added later-printing line. Thick octavo in black pictorial cloth stamped in gilt (title and illustration on front board and spine); illustrated by Kurt Wiese with black-and-white art plus color plates (frontispiece and additional plates) and toned/illustrated endpapers.
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 1933.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later Winston printings and revised/updated editions are not firsts; check the copyright page for any added printing statement. Note that a Newbery Medal announcement leaf is frequently tipped in at the front; this leaf was added after the award and its presence does not by itself indicate a later printing.
I have a first edition of Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze — 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.