First Edition Identification
Dr. Seuss Beginner Books B-27
1962 Snow
1962 B-27 Snow
P.D. Eastman. Roy McKie (Illustrator). Snow. New York. Beginner Books: 1962.
Pages#: 64 pages.
Book Description: Color illustrated boards wrapped in matching dust jacket. An early book in the groundbreaking Beginner Book series, written specifically to help children learn to read while simultaneously engaging and entertaining them. The story shows all the fun two children have playing in the snow. Told using only 150 different words.
Pagination: Front fixed and free endpapers illustrated in color; [i] half-title; [ii-iii] 2-page title; [iv] copyright; 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 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 62 years with hundreds of thousands of copies sold. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 10 |
Scarcity Context
The first edition book in its original first edition DJ is Uncommon: There were 2 first editions found in the March 2024 survey, with an average price of $34, ranging from $38 to $30. This first edition is not scarce, just that the market price is too low for copies to surface.
First Edition Book & Dust Jacket Descriptions
Book Front: Bound in glossy paper covered boards with color illustration. “Snow / Roy McKie [cursive] / and / P.D. Eastman”
Note: Click on any of the book's images to see at larger scale.
Book Back: Bound in glossy blue paper covered boards. Blank with no illustration or text.
Book Spine: “[BB logo] BEGINNER BOOKS [black horizontal text] Snow McKie / Eastman B-27 [black horizontal text]”
Title Page: “Snow / [illustration] / Roy McKie and P.D. Eastman / Illustrated by Roy McKie / BEGINNER BOOKS / A DIVISION OF RANDOM HOUSE, INC.”
Copyright: “(c) Copyright 1962 by Roy McKie and P.D. Eastman. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conven- / tions. Published in New York by Random House, Inc., and simultaneously in Toronto, Canada, by Random House of Canada, Limited. / Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 62-15114. Manufactured in / the United States of America.”
DJ Front: Color illustration matching Book Front. With added Beginner Books logo. “Snow / [Beginner Book logo top right] / Roy McKie [cursive] / and / P.D. Eastman”
DJ Back: Beginner Books DJ Back 'J': 1962 28 Titles
“[Large Beginner Books logo] / Beginner Books / 176- to 275- word vocabulary / [list of 21 BB titles starting with 'THE CAT IN THE HAT' to 'LOOK OUT FOR PIRATES!'] / Books for BEGINNING Beginners / [list of 7 BB titles starting with 'GREEN EGGS AND HAM' to 'THE BIG HONEY HUNT'] / BEGINNER BOOKS A DIVISION OF RANDOM HOUSE, INC. / 457 Madison Ave, New York 22, N.Y.”
DJ Spine: “[BB logo] BEGINNER BOOKS [black horizontal text] Snow McKie / Eastman B-27 [black horizontal text]”
DJ Price: 195/195
DJ Flap Front: “195/195 [top right] / Snow / Roy McKie and P.D. Eastman / Snow may come. / And Snow may go – / But the beauty, the mystery and the … [… paragraph] / The two great talents of Roy … […paragraph] / What is even more wondrous … [… paragraph] / This book will encourage the … [… paragraph] / SNOW comes from / the home of / THE CAT IN THE HAT / Beginner Books / A DIVISION OF RANDOM HOUSE, INC”
DJ Flap Back: “[Two snowman illustration] / Roy McKie and P.D. Eastman / The wonderful idea for SNOW and … […paragraph] / The wonderful words came from … […paragraph] / This is the first time these two … […paragraph] / Roy McKie illustrated: / [3 titles] / P.D. Eastman illustrated: / [2 titles] / He wrote and illustrated: / [3 titles] / (c) Copyright 1962 by Roy McKie and P.D. Eastman [small black text is a dark blue box]”
First Edition Identification
First edition book states “Published in New York by Random House” on the copyright page and has 'B-27' on the spine.
First edition dust jacket is Beginner Books 1962 DJ 'J' version 'a' with 28 titles listed on the back DJ See Beginner Books Dust Jacket Backs from Chapter 52 of the First Edition Identification Guide: Beginner Books.and does not have “0514-5” on its bottom right.
Second Printings and Later
Second printing book is identical to first printing.
Second printing DJ is Beginner Books 1962 DJ 'J' version 'b' with 28 titles listed
BB-27 Snow Second Printing Back DJ with “0514-5”
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.