First Edition Identification
Dr. Seuss Beginner Books B-19
1961 Ten Apples Up On Top!
1961 B-19 Ten Apples Up On Top!
Theo LeSieg. Roy McKie (Illustrator). Ten Apples Up On Top!. New York. Beginner Books: 1961.
Pages#: 64 pages.
Book Description: Color illustrated boards wrapped in matching dust jacket. The 19th Beginner Books, where young children can learn to count as they learn to read, told in a simple rhyming scheme. One of the 'All-Time Bestselling Children's Books' according to Publisher's Weekly.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; 3-65 story; [65] 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 63 years with millions of copies sold. Made Publisher's Weekly hardback list of 'All-Time Bestselling Children's Books'. See 'All-Time Bestselling Children's Books'. Theodor Seuss Giesel is the most successful children's book author/illustrator of all-time and has a strong collector interest. McKie illustrated over 30 children's books.Written by Dr. Seuss under an alias, 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 | Collect ibility | Illust. | 1st Early Late | Author | Awards | Pop Culture | Copies Sold | Fran chise |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 10 |
Scarcity Context
The first edition book in its original first edition DJ is Scarce: There were 7 first editions found in the March 2024 survey, with an average price of $843, ranging from $1,565 to $350.
First Edition Book & Dust Jacket Descriptions
Book Front: Bound in glossy dark green paper covered boards with color illustration. “Ten / Apples / Up On / Top! / By Theo. LeSieg /Illustrated by Roy McKie”
Note: Click on any of the book's images to see at larger scale.
Book Back: Bound in dark green paper covered boards. Blank with no illustration or text.
Book Spine: “[BB logo] BEGINNER BOOKS [black horizontal text] Ten Apples Up On Top! Theo LeSieg B-19 [white horizontal text]”
Title Page: “Ten Apples / Up On / Top! / By Theo. / LeSieg / Illustrated by / Roy McKie / [illustration] / BEGINNER BOOKS / A Division of Random House”
Copyright: “(c) Copyright 1961 by Random House. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Con- / ventions. 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: 61-7068. Manufactured in the United States of America.”
DJ Front: Color illustration matching Book Front. With added Beginner Books logo. “Ten / Apples / Beginner Book logo top right] / 75 / WORD / VOCABULARY / Up On / Top! / By Theo. LeSieg / Illustrated by Roy McKie”
DJ Back: Beginner Books DJ Back 'G': 1961 20 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 / [list of 5 BB titles starting with 'GREEN EGGS AND HAM' to ' ARE YOU MY MOTHER?' / Beginner Books, Inc. / A DIVISION OF RANDOM HOUSE / 457 MADISON AVE. NEW YORK 22, N.Y.”
DJ Spine: “[BB logo] BEGINNER BOOKS [black horizontal text] Ten Apples Up On Top! Theo LeSieg B-19 [white horizontal text]”
DJ Price: 195/195
DJ Flap Front: “195/195 [top right] / [illustration] / Ten Apples / Up On Top! / A Beginning Beginner Book / by THEO. LeSieg / This is a fun story in rhyme for the … [… paragraph] / But, beyond the hours of laughs … […paragraph] / This Beginning Beginner Book uses a … [… paragraph] / Theo. LeSieg, the author, plays with … [… paragraph] / Illustrated by ROY McKie / The simple, yet marvelously humorous … [… paragraph]”
DJ Flap Back: “[Three paragraph Theo LeSieg biography] / [One paragraph Roy McKie biography] / [Caricature of Theo LeSieg, a dog, and Roy McKie] / THEO. LeSieg ROY McKie / AND A FRIEND”
First Edition Identification
First edition book states “Published in New York by Random House” on the copyright page and has 'B-19' on the spine.
First edition dust jacket is Beginner Books 1961 DJ 'G' with 20 titles listed See Beginner Books Dust Jacket Backs from Chapter 52 of the First Edition Identification Guide: Beginner Books.and with 'B-19' on the DJ spine.
Second Printings and Later
Second printing book is identical to first printing.
Second printing DJ is Beginner Books 1961 DJ 'H' with 24 titles listed. See Beginner Books Dust Jacket Backs from Chapter 52 of the First Edition Identification Guide: Beginner Books.
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.