How to identify a first printing
- Knopf house convention applies: stated 'First Edition' on copyright page, historically with the Borzoi colophon
- KEY Knopf quirk inherited by the children's arm: on a true first the number line and the words must AGREE — Knopf's rule is the printing line; a stated 'First Edition' with a number line not ending in 1 is a later printing
- Modern Knopf BFYR (Random House Children's): full number line ending in 1, plus 'First Edition'
Notable points & cautions
- Borzoi (running-dog) device is the Knopf signature; appears in children's titles too
- Now part of Random House Children's Books (Penguin Random House)
- Roald Dahl US editions, Judith Viorst (Alexander...), and many picture books carry the Knopf imprint
Imprints
First editions also appear under: Alfred A. Knopf BFYR, Crown Books for Young Readers, Dragonfly Books (paperback), Anne Schwartz Books (now under Random House). Each generally follows the house convention above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my Knopf Books for Young Readers (Knopf BFYR) book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. Knopf house convention applies: stated 'First Edition' on copyright page, historically with the Borzoi colophon KEY Knopf quirk inherited by the children's arm: on a true first the number line and the words must AGREE — Knopf's rule is the printing line; a stated 'First Edition' with a number line not ending in 1 is a later printing
Does Knopf Books for Young Readers (Knopf BFYR) use a number line?
KEY Knopf quirk inherited by the children's arm: on a true first the number line and the words must AGREE — Knopf's rule is the printing line; a stated 'First Edition' with a number line not ending in 1 is a later printing
Is a book-club edition a Knopf Books for Young Readers (Knopf BFYR) first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Borzoi (running-dog) device is the Knopf signature; appears in children's titles too
What era does this cover?
This covers Knopf Books for Young Readers (Knopf BFYR) (1915–present (children's line mid-20th c. onward)). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.
Knopf Books for Young Readers (Knopf BFYR) titles with documented first-edition points
Each link opens that title’s specific points of issue — the exact marks that separate a true first printing from a later one.
- All the Pretty Horses signed first (Cormac McCarthy, 1992)
- American Tabloid (James Ellroy, 1995)
- Blood's a Rover (James Ellroy, 2009)
- Death Comes for the Archbishop signed first (Willa Cather, 1927)
- Followers of the Sun (Harvey Fergusson, 1936)
- In a Country of Mothers (A.M. Homes, 1993)
- Indian Earth signed first (Witter Bynner, 1929)
- Mornings in Mexico signed first (D.H. Lawrence, 1927)
- My Dark Places (James Ellroy, 1996)
- New Mexico: A Pageant of Three Peoples (Erna Fergusson, 1951)
- Perfidia (James Ellroy, 2014)
- The Cold Six Thousand (James Ellroy, 2001)
- The Enchanters (James Ellroy, 2023)
- The Eyes and the Impossible (Dave Eggers, 2023)
- The Hilliker Curse (James Ellroy, 2010)
- The Houdini Box (Brian Selznick, 1991)
- The Rabbit Hutch (Tess Gunty, 2022)
- The Road signed first (Cormac McCarthy, 2006)
- This Storm (James Ellroy, 2019)
- White Jazz (James Ellroy, 1992)
- Widespread Panic (James Ellroy, 2021)