How to Identify a Little Golden Books (Golden Books / Western Publishing / Simon & Schuster) First Edition

How to identify a first printing

• 1947–1970: edition letter hidden in the LOWER-RIGHT CORNER of the LAST page (sometimes under the rear cover/pastedown) — 'A' = 1st edition/printing, 'B' = 2nd, 'C' = 3rd, etc. THE defining Little Golden Book point of issue
• Pre-1947: edition stated on the first or second page of the book
• 1971–1991: a series of letters on the first few pages; the letter FARTHEST LEFT indicates the printing (A = first)
• 1991–c.2000: Roman numerals for the year, followed by letter 'A' (first edition) or 'R' (revised)

Notable points & cautions

• The 'A' on the back/last page is the single most cited tell in mid-century picture-book collecting — you often must lift the rear cover slightly to see it
• Earliest LGBs (1942–) had dust jackets and blue spines; later gold foil spines. Spine number and price ('25 CENTS') help date but are not printing indicators
• Reissues with identical art are extremely common — same title can have dozens of printings spanning decades; only the edition letter distinguishes them. The Poky Little Puppy, Scuffy the Tugboat, Tootle, Saggy Baggy Elephant are heavily reprinted
• Western Publishing (Racine, WI) produced them; rights later to Golden Books Family Entertainment, then Random House (1999/2001). Modern Random House LGBs use a standard number line

Imprints

First editions also appear under: Golden Books, Big Golden Book, Giant Golden Book, A Little Golden Book, Golden Press. Each generally follows the house convention above.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if my Little Golden Books (Golden Books / Western Publishing / Simon & Schuster) book is a first edition?

Check the copyright page. 1947–1970: edition letter hidden in the LOWER-RIGHT CORNER of the LAST page (sometimes under the rear cover/pastedown) — 'A' = 1st edition/printing, 'B' = 2nd, 'C' = 3rd, etc. THE defining Little Golden Book point of issue Pre-1947: edition stated on the first or second page of the book

Does Little Golden Books (Golden Books / Western Publishing / Simon & Schuster) use a number line?

Pre-1947: edition stated on the first or second page of the book

Is a book-club edition a Little Golden Books (Golden Books / Western Publishing / Simon & Schuster) first edition?

No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. The 'A' on the back/last page is the single most cited tell in mid-century picture-book collecting — you often must lift the rear cover slightly to see it

What era does this cover?

This covers Little Golden Books (Golden Books / Western Publishing / Simon & Schuster) (1942–present (letter-code system 1947–c.2000)). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.