First Edition Identification
Dr. Seuss Beginner Books B-17
1960 Put Me In The Zoo
1960 B-17 Put Me In The Zoo
Robert Lopshire. Put Me In The Zoo. New York. Beginner Books: 1960.
Pages#: 64 pages.
Book Description: Color illustrated boards wrapped in matching dust jacket. The 3rd in the Beginner Book series, written specifically to help children learn to read while simultaneously engaging and entertaining them. The story tells of a spot changing feline and the amazing things they can do with their spots. Told using only 100 different words. One of the 'All-Time Bestselling Children's Books' according to Publisher's Weekly
Pagination: Front fixed and free endpapers illustrated in color; [i] title; [ii] copyright; [iii] dedication; [iv] blank; 3-61 story; [64] blank; back free and fixed endpaper illustrated in color.
Collectibility Context
The first edition book in its original first edition DJ is a Prestige Collectible: Early book in ground breaking Beginner Books series, which changed the way children learned to read in America. Embraced by the public for 64 years with millions of copies sold. The 6oth bestselling children's hardback of all-time according to Publisher's Weekly. The author/illustrator was highly successful in the children's book market for decades. 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 | Collect ibility | Illust. | 1st Early Late | Author | Awards | Pop Culture | Copies Sold | Fran chise |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 10 |
Scarcity Context
The first edition book in its original first edition DJ is Scarce: There were no first editions found in the March 2024 survey. This first edition is scarce, not rare, just that the market price is too low for copies to surface. And for one of the bestselling children's books of all time!
First Edition Book & Dust Jacket Descriptions
Book Front: Bound in glossy white paper covered boards with color illustration. “Put Me / In The / Zoo / By Robert Lopshire
Note: Click on any of the book's images to see at larger scale.
Book Back: Bound in white paper covered boards. Blank with no illustration or text.
Book Spine: “[BB logo] BEGINNER BOOKS [black horizontal text] Put Me in the Zoo Lopshire B-17 [black horizontal text]”
Title Page: “Put Me / in the / Zoo / By Robert / Lopshire / [illustration] / BEGINNER BOOKS, INC. / DISTRIBUTED BY RANDOM HOUSE”
Copyright: “(c) Copyright 1960 by Robert Lopshire. 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: 60-13494. Manufactured in the United States of America.”
DJ Front: Color illustration matching Book Front, with Beginner Books logo added. “Put Me / [Beginner Book logo top right] / 100 / WORD / VOCABULARY / In The / Zoo / By Robert Lopshire
DJ Back: Beginner Books DJ Back 'F': 1960 18 Titles
“[Cat In The Hat illustration top left] / I can read them / all by myself! / ELEMENTARY EDUCATORS from all over the country … [… paragraph] / REMEDIAL READING SPECIALISTS have acclaimed… [… paragraph] / Books for Beginners (Average Reading Vocabulary – 210 words) / [list of 15 BB titles starting with 'THE CAT IN THE HAT' to 'THE KING'S WISH & OTHER STORIES'] / for BEGINNING Beginners / 50 word vocabulary 100 word vocabulary 100 word vocabulary / GREEN EGGS AND HAM PUT ME IN THE ZOO ARE YOU MY MOTHER? / DR. SEUSS ROBERT LOPSHIRE P. D. EASTMAN / Beginner Books, Inc. / DISTRIBUTED BY RANDOM HOUSE, 457 MADISON AVE. NEW YORK 22, N.Y.”
DJ Spine: “[BB logo] BEGINNER BOOKS [black horizontal text] Put Me in the Zoo Lopshire B-17 [black horizontal text]”
DJ Price: 195/195
DJ Flap Front: “195/195 [top right] / [Illustration] / PUT ME / IN THE ZOO / by ROBERT LOPSHIRE / This is an amazingly funny story … [… paragraph] / But the most amazing thing / about the book is this / It was written using / only 100 different words / Beginner Books presents this … [… paragraph] / This new series includes / GREEN EGGS AND HAME / by DR. SEUSS / (50-word vocabulary) / ARE YOU MY MOTHER? / by P. D. EASTMAN (100-word vocabulary”
DJ Flap Back: “[Caricature of Robert Lopshire] / [Four paragraph Robert Lopshire biography]”
First Edition Identification
First edition book states “Distributed by Random House” on the title/copyright page and has 'B-17' on the spine.
First edition dust jacket is Beginner Books 1960 DJ 'F' with 18 titles listed and “Distributed by Random House' with 'B-17' on the DJ spine. See Beginner Books Dust Jacket Backs from Chapter 52 of the First Edition Identification Guide: Beginner Books.
Second Printings and Later
Second printing book is identical to first printing.
Second printing dust jacket is 1960 'F' version 'c' with “DIVISION OF RANDOM HOUSE”. See Beginner Books Dust Jacket Backs from Chapter 52 of the First Edition Identification Guide: Beginner Books.
Third printing book copyright with “A Division of Random House, Inc”.
BB-17 Put Me In The Zoo Third Printing “A Division of Random House”
Third printing dust jacket is 1960 'F' version 'c' with “DIVISION OF RANDOM HOUSE”.
See First Fifty Beginner Books for first edition identification of the first 50 Beginner Books.
See Beginner Books Dust Jacket Backs to see the chronological sequence of the Beginner Books dust jackets.
All of this information is sourced from the First Edition Identification Guide: Beginner Books (2024, Flying Moose Books), by Stan Zielinski.