First Edition Babar Loses His Crown

First Edition Identification

1967 B-45 Babar Loses His Crown

Laurent de Brunhoff. Babar Loses His Crown. New York. Beginner Books: 1967.

Pages#: 64 pages.

Book Description: Color illustrated boards wrapped in matching dust jacket. Babar, the King of the Elephants, is one of the most successful children's book franchises ever. Created in 1933 by Jean de Brunhoff, this story is authored by his son, Laurent de Brunhoff.

Also the book is 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; 2-63 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 Highly Collectible: Early book in ground breaking Beginner Books series, which changed the way children learned to read in America. Embraced by the public for 57 years with hundreds of thousands of copies sold. The author/illustrator is highly successful in the children's book market with decades of success best known for continuing the Babar franchise which his father originated. Babar, therefore 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 7 first editions found in the March 2024 survey, with an average price of $58, ranging from $125 to $40.

First Edition Book & Dust Jacket Descriptions

Book Front: Bound in glossy paper covered boards with color illustration. "BABAR / [Beginner Books logo top right} / LOSES HIS CROWN / BY LAURENT DE BRUNHOFF"

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

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

Book Spine: "[BB logo] BEGINNER BOOKS [black horizontal text] BABAR LOSES HIS CROWN DE BRUNHOFF B-45 [black horizontal text]"

Title Page: "BABAR / LOSES HIS CROWN / [illustration] / BY LAURENT DE BRUNHOFF / BEGINNER BOOKS A Division of Random House, Inc. "

Copyright: "(c) Copyright 1967 by Random House. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. Published in New York / by Beginner Books, a division of Random House, Inc., and simultaneously in Toronto, Canada, by Random House of Canada, Limited. Library of / Congress Catalog Card Number: 67-21918. Manufactured in / the United States of America. Printed by Copifyer Lithograph Co., Cleveland, Ohio."

DJ Front: Color illustration matching Book Front. "BABAR / [Beginner Books logo top right} / LOSES HIS CROWN / BY LAURENT DE BRUNHOFF"

DJ Back: Beginner Books DJ Back 'R': 1967 4 Titles

"The Beginner Book story ... / [Large 'Cat In The Hat' image at left] / "Ten years ago, Dr. Seuss took 220 words, rhymed them, ... [... paragraph] / From this magically right beginning has developed the concept ... [... paragraph] / Elementary Educators all over the country ... [... paragraph] / Remedial reading specialists ... [... paragraph] / Is it any wonder that sales now total over 55 million? ... [... paragraph] / Among recent Beginner Book titles are: / THE BEAR SCOUTS, by Stan and Jan Berenstain ... [... paragraph] / [BB logo] / Beginner Books are also now / available in French-English and / Spanish-English"

DJ Spine: "[BB logo] BEGINNER BOOKS [black horizontal text] BABAR LOSES HIS CROWN DE BRUNHOFF B-45 [black horizontal text]"

DJ Price: 195/195

DJ Flap Front: "195/195 [top right] / BABAR / LOSES HIS CROWN / BY LAURENT DE BRUNHOFF [Illustration] / With the publication of this title, we / welcome Babar to the Beginner Book / series. / In this so try the King of the Ele- ... [... paragraph] / The chase to find the crown is on ... [...paragraph] / Babar has been loved by children all ... [... paragraph] / This book comes from / the home of / THE CAT IN THE HAT / Beginner Books / A DIVISION OF RANDOM HOUSE, INC. / (c)Copyright 1967, by L. de Brunhoff"

DJ Flap Back: "BABAR / LOSES HIS CROWN / Written and illustrated by / LAURENT DE BRUNHOFF / [Photo of Laurent De Brunhoff} / Before Laurent de Brunhoff ... [... paragraph] / Laurent now carries on this great tradi- ... [... paragraph] / He has already published eight books... [... paragraph]"

First Edition Identification

First edition book states "Published in New York by Beginner Books, a division of Random House" on the copyright page and has 'B-45' on the spine.

First edition dust jacket is Beginner Books 1967 DJ 'R' with text marketing "The Beginner Book story ..." In the last paragraph six books are listed beginning with The Bear Scouts (1967). This final paragraph only lists 5 Beginner Books.

Second Printings and Later

Second printing book is identical to first printing.

Second printing DJ is Beginner Books 1969 DJ 'S' which is very similar to 1967 DJ 'R' except the last paragraph begins by listing 'MY BOOK ABOUT ME' (1969) rather than The Bear Scouts (1967).

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.