First Edition Identification
Dr. Seuss Beginner Books B-20
1961 Go, Dog. Go!
1961 B-20 Go, Dog. Go!
P.D. Eastman. Go, Dog. Go!. New York. Beginner Books: 1961.
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 book progresses the young reader through a series of increasingly complex comical dog scenes. Told using only 75 different words. 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; 3-64 story; 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. The 34th bestselling children's hardback of all-time. See 'All-Time Bestselling Children's Books'. 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). McKie illustrated over 30 children's books. 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 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 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 book of all time!
First Edition Book & Dust Jacket Descriptions
Book Front: Bound in glossy red-white-blue banded paper covered boards with color illustration. “Go, Dog. / Go! / By P.D. Eastman”
Note: Click on any of the book's images to see at larger scale.
Book Back: Bound in glossy red-white-blue banded paper covered boards. Blank with no illustration or text.
Book Spine: “[BB logo] BEGINNER BOOKS [black horizontal text] Go, Dog. Go! Eastman B-20 [yellow horizontal text]”
Title Page: “Go, Dog. Go! / [illustration] / By P.D. Eastman / BEGINNER BOOKS, INC. / A DIVISION OF RANDOM HOUSE, INC.”
Copyright: “(c) Copyright 1961 by P. D. Eastman. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conven- / tions. 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: 61-7069. Manufactured in the United States of America.”
DJ Front: Color illustration matching Book Front. With added Beginner Books logo. “Go, Dog. / [Beginner Book logo top right] / 75 / WORD / VOCABULARY / Go! / By P.D. Eastman”
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] Go, Dog. Go! Eastman B-20 [yellow horizontal text]”
DJ Price: 195/195
DJ Flap Front: “195/195 [top right] / Go, Dog. Go! / A Beginning Beginner book / P.D. Eastman / Here is the perfect book for the / child who wants to learn to read / P. D. Eastman starts this book / with just one word / Dog. / The he adds another word: / Big dog. / The he adds another word: / Little dog. / Little by little, word by word, pic- … [… paragraph] / Red dogs, blue dogs–all kinds of … [… paragraph]”
DJ Flap Back: “[Caricature of P.D. Eastman] / P. D. Eastman / and friends* / P.D. Eastman, who both writes … […paragraph] / “His broad and varied experience in … […paragraph] / *These friends are featured in / Eastman's three Beginner Books / SAM AND THE FIREFLY / ARE YOU MY MOTHER? / GO, DOG. GO!”
First Edition Identification
First edition book states “Published in New York by Random House” on the copyright page and has 'B-20' on the spine.
First edition dust jacket is Beginner Books 1961 DJ 'G' with 20 titles listed and with 'B-20' 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 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.