First Edition Identification
Dr. Seuss Beginner Books B-46
1967 The Bear Scouts
1967 B-46 The Bear Scouts
Stan & Jan Berenstain. The Bear Scouts. New York. Beginner Books: 1967.
Pages#: 64 pages.
Book Description: Color illustrated boards wrapped in matching dust jacket. The fourth book in the Berenstain Bears franchise one of the most successful children's book franchises ever. An astounding 39 Berenstain Bears paperback books made 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
Also an early book 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] half-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 Berenstain's created the Berenstain Bear franchise, monstrously successful within the children's book publishing industry. Early Berenstain Bear so 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 10 |
Scarcity Context
The first edition book in its original first edition DJ is Scarce to Uncommon: There were no first editions found in the March 2024 survey. 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. “The Bear / [Beginner Books logo top right] / Scouts / By Stan and Jan Berenstain”
Note: Click on any of the book's images to see at larger scale.
Book Back: Bound in glossy yellow paper covered boards. Blank with no illustration or text.
Book Spine: “[BB logo] BEGINNER BOOKS [black horizontal text] The Bear Scouts Berenstains B-46 [black horizontal text]”
Title Page: “The Bear Scouts / [illustration] / By Stan and Jan Berenstain / BEGINNER BOOKS / A Division of Random House, Inc.”
Copyright: “(c) Copyright 1967 by Stanley and Janice Berenstain. 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: 67-21919. Manufactured in / the United States of America. Printed by Copifyer Lithograph Co., Cleveland, Ohio.”
DJ Front: Color illustration matching Book Front. “The Bear / [Beginner Books logo top right] / Scouts / By Stan and Jan Berenstain”
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] The Bear Scouts Berenstains B-46 [black horizontal text]”
DJ Price: 195/195
DJ Flap Front: “195/195 [top right] / The Bear Scouts / by Stan and Jan Berenstain / [Illustration] / Once again, Papa Bear's wisdom is put … [… paragraph] / No sooner does he join the party than … […paragraph] / Stan and Jan Berenstain … [… paragraph] / This book comes from / the home of / THE CAT IN THE HAT / Beginner Books / A DIVISION OF RANDOM HOUSE, INC.”
DJ Flap Back: “[Illustration] / Beloved by millions of beginning read- … [… paragraph] / Hera are some comments about their / three previous Beginner -Books: / The Big Honey Hunt: “An excellent … [… paragraph] / The Bike Lesson: “The Berenstain … [… paragraph] / The Bears Picnic: “The Berenstains' … [… paragraph] / (c)Copyright 1967, by S. & J. Berenstain”
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-46' 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). See Beginner Books Dust Jacket Backs from Chapter 52 of the First Edition Identification Guide: Beginner Books. 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 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.