First Edition The Bears' Picnic

First Edition Identification

1966 B-41 The Bears' Picnic

Stan & Jan Berenstain. The Bears' Picnic. New York. Beginner Books: 1966.

Pages#: 64 pages.

Book Description: Color illustrated boards wrapped in matching dust jacket. The third book in the Berenstain Bears franchise one of the most successful children's book franchises ever. An astounding 39 Berenstain Bears paperback books made the 'All-Time Bestselling Children's Books' according to Publisher's Weekly.

Also an early book in the groundbreaking Beginner Book series, written specifically to help children learn to read while simultaneously engaging and entertaining them.

Pagination: Front fixed and free endpapers illustrated in color; [i] title; [ii] copyright; [iii] half-title; [iv] blank; 3-63 story; last page of story is on the 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 58 years with hundreds of thousands of copies sold. The Berenstain's created the Berenstain Bear franchise, monstrously successful within the children's book publishing industry. Early Berenstain Bear so some 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 6 first editions found in the March 2024 survey, with an average price of $124, ranging from $200 to $45.

First Edition Book & Dust Jacket Descriptions

Book Front: Bound in glossy paper covered boards with color illustration. "The Bears'/ [Beginner Books logo top right} / PICNIC / By / Stan and Jan / Berenstain"

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

Book Back: Bound in glossy green paper covered boards. Blank with no illustration or text.

Book Spine: "[BB logo] BEGINNER BOOKS [black horizontal text] The Bears' PICNIC Berenstain B-41 [black horizontal text]"

Title Page: "The Bears' / PICNIC / [illustration] / By Stan and Jan Berenstain / BEGINNER BOOKS A Division of Random House, Inc."

Copyright: "(c) Copyright 1966 by Stanley and Janice Berenstain. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright / Conventions. Published in New York by Random House, Inc., and simultaneously in Toronto, Canada, by Random House / Canada, Limited. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 66-10156. Manufactured in / the United States of America."

DJ Front: Color illustration matching Book Front. "The Bears'/ [Beginner Books logo top right} / PICNIC / By / Stan and Jan / Berenstain"

DJ Back: Beginner Books DJ Back 'O': 1966 No BB Titles

"[The Cat In The Hat Beginner Book Dictionary (1964) front cover] / Here is where / BEGINNING/ READERS / really begin / to read! / [four-lines starting with 'This amazing Dictionary by the Cat in the Hat' / Now available for Beginners / in / ['CITH BB Dictionary FRENCH' cover] / FRENCH / ['CITH BB Dictionary SPANISH' cover] / and / SPANISH / too"

DJ Spine: "[BB logo] BEGINNER BOOKS [black horizontal text] The Bears' PICNIC Berenstain B-41 [black horizontal text]"

DJ Price: 195/195

DJ Flap Front: "195/195 [top right] / The Bears' / PICNIC / by Stan and Jan / Berenstain / In this third adventure of the Beren- ... [... paragraph] / This time he takes the family on a ... [...paragraph] / Papa keeps searching for the "per-... [... paragraph] / The whole thing develops into a / wild cross-country marathon. / * * * / In addition to their hilarious draw- ... [... paragraph] / This book comes from / the home of / THE CAT IN THE HAT / Beginner Books / A DIVISION OF RANDOM HOUSE, INC."

DJ Flap Back: "[illustration} / Stan and Jan Berenstain / (They are the two on the right. / The two on the left are models.) [illustration caption] / One of the great husband and wife ... [... paragraph] / The Berenstains live and work in ... [... paragraph] / They have done two other Beginner / Books about their bears: / THE BIKE LESSON / AND / THE BIG HONEY HUNT / (c)Copyright 1966, by S. & J. Berenstain"

First Edition Identification

First edition book states "Published in New York by Random House" on the copyright page and has 'B-41' on the spine.

First edition dust jacket is Beginner Books 1966 DJ 'O' with an advertisement for The Cat In The Hat Beginner Book Dictionary (1964) along with the French (1965) and Spanish (1966) versions. No Beginner Book titles are listed.

Second Printings and Later

Second printing book is identical to first printing.

Second printing DJ is Beginner Books 1966 DJ 'P' with 37 titles listed.

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.