First Edition Sam And The Firefly

First Edition Identification

1958 B-06 Sam And The Firefly

P.D. Eastman. Sam And The Firefly. New York. Beginner Books: 1958.

Pages#: 64 pages.

Book Description: Color illustrated boards wrapped in matching dust jacket. The 6th book in the groundbreaking Beginner Book series, written specifically to help children learn to read while simultaneously engaging and entertaining them. The story tells of the yourng boy Sam, and Gus his firefly friend, who becomes the world's first skywriting firefly. Told using only 195 different words.

Pagination: Front fixed and free endpapers illustrated in color; [i] title; [ii] copyright; 3-63 story; 64 recto of back free endpaper; back free and fixed endpaper illustrated in color.

Collectibility Context

The first edition book in its original first edition DJ is a Very Collectible: Early book in ground breaking Beginner Books series, which changed the way children learned to read in America. Embraced by the public for 66 years with hundreds of thousands of copies sold. Eastman was the writer and artist for Mr. Magoo for a number of years, and won an Oscar for co-writing Gerald McBoing-Bong (Short-Subject, Cartoons). Little pop culture appeal.

The Collectibility of a first edition American picturebook is comprised of specific factors, as explained in detail at Factors Affecting Collectibility.

Scarcity Context

The first edition book in its original first edition DJ is Uncommon: There were 2 first editions found in the March 2024 survey, with an average price of $57, ranging from $80 to $34. This first edition is not scarce, just that the market price is too low for copies to surface.

First Edition Book & Dust Jacket Descriptions

Book Front: Bound in glossy blue paper covered boards with color illustration. "SAM AND THE FIREFLY / [color illustration] / By / P.D. EASTMAN / [FOR BEGINNING READERS Logo bottom right]"

Note: Click on any of the book's images to see at larger scale.

Book Back: Bound in illustrated paper covered boards. "What are Beginner Books? / They are the answer to millions of parents ... [...paragraph] / [FOR BEGINNING READERS Logo] / BEGIN YOUR CHILD'S LIBRARY WITH / THESE BEGINNER BOOKS! / [Bennett Cerf signature] / President of Random House / [Chalkboard graphic with six books listed as follows.] / 1. The Cat in the Hat / 2. The Cat in the Hat Comes Back / 3. A Fly Went By / 4. The Big Jump / A Big Ball of String / Sam and the Firefly / AT ALL BOOK STORES $1.95 / Beginner Books, Inc. / Distributed by RANDOM HOUSE, 437 Madison Ave. New York 22, N.Y. / Trademark of Beginner Books, Inc. [very small text at bottom left]"

Book Spine: "SAM AND THE FIREFLY EASTMAN Beginner Books, Inc."

Title Page: "Sam and / the / Firefly / Written and illustrated by / P.D. EASTMAN / Beginner Books, Inc. / DISTRIBUTED BY RANDOM HOUSE"

Copyright: "First Printing / (c) Copyright, 1958, by Beginner Books, Inc / All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright / Conventions. Published in New York by Beginner Books, Inc., and / simultaneously in Toronto, Canada, by Random House of Canada, Limited. / Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 58-11966. Manufactured in the United States of America."

DJ Front: Color illustration matching book cover. "SAM AND THE FIREFLY / [color illustration] / By / P.D. EASTMAN / [FOR BEGINNING READERS Logo bottom right]"

DJ Back: Beginner Books DJ Back 'B': 1958 6 Titles

"What are Beginner Books? / They are the answer to millions of parents and educators who have begged ... [...paragraph] / [FOR BEGINNING READERS' logo] / BEGIN YOUR CHILD'S LIBRARY WITH THESE BEGINNER BOOKS / [Bennett Cerf Signature] / Bennett Cerf / President of Random House / [Chalkboard with numbered list of first 6 Beginner Books] / AT ALL BOOK STORES $1.94 / Beginner Books, Inc. / Distributed by RANDOM HOUSE, 457 Madison Ave., New York 22, N. Y." [Note: lacks 'Trademark of Beginner Books, Inc.' bottom left.]

DJ Spine: "SAM AND THE FIREFLY EASTMAN Beginner Books, Inc."

DJ Price: 1.95

DJ Flap Front: "$1.95 [top right] / [Beginner Books Logo] / Sam and / the Firefly / When a child in the first of second grade ... [... paragraph] / Take this book -- Sam and the Firefly ... [...paragraph] / P.D. Eastman used only 195 differ- ... [... paragraph] / *Trademark of Beginner Books, Inc. [very small black text bottom of flap]"

DJ Flap Back: "[P.D. Eastman caricature] / [P.D. Eastman biography]"

First Edition Identification

First edition book states 'First Printing' on the copyright page.

First edition dust jacket is Beginner Books 1958 DJ 'B' with six titles listed and no 'B-6' on the book or DJ spine.

Note: I have books stated 'First Printing' with and without 'B-6' on the DJ spine. The 'First Printing' book without 'B-6' on the DJ spine has precedence. The 'First Printing' books with 'B-6' on the DJ spine are a mixed state, and earlier than the second printings discussed below.

Second Printings and Later

Second printing book omits 'First Printing' statement on the copyright page, otherwise is identical to first printing.

Second printing DJ is identical to first printing with no 'B-6' on the book or DJ spine.

Third printing book omits 'First Printing' statement on the copyright page, otherwise is identical to first printing.

Third printing DJ is identical to first printing with no 'B-6' on the book or DJ spine and with blank price (no '195/195') on the DJ front flap.

Note: The back dust jacket on all these printings have only the six Beginner Books listed on the chalkboard - this implies that these were printed prior to the 1959 titles being released.

See Beginner Book Fronts for first edition identification of the first 50 Beginner Books.

This information is from the First Edition Identification Guide: Beginner Books (2024, Flying Moose Books), by Stan Zielinski.

© Stan Zielinski
A serious collector having fun with fun books.