First Edition Identification
Dr. Seuss Beginner Books B-50
1968 Off To The Races
1968 B-50 Off To The Races
Fred Phleger. Leo Summers (Illustrator). Off To The Races. New York. Beginner Books: 1968.
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 tells of Bob's nameless younger brother, who longs to race bikes and attend bike rallies like his older brother.
Pagination: Front fixed and free endpapers illustrated in color; [i] title; [ii] copyright; 3-63 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 Solid Collectible: Early book in ground breaking Beginner Books series, which changed the way children learned to read in America. Embraced by the public for 56 years with tens of thousands of copies sold. Phleger was a nationally recognized marine biologist. Summers was a successful pulp magazine and book illustrator 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 10 |
Scarcity Context
The first edition book in its original first edition DJ is Uncommon: There were 3 first editions found in the March 2024 survey, with an average price of $46, ranging from $63 to $30.
First Edition Book & Dust Jacket Descriptions
Book Front: Bound in glossy paper covered boards with color illustration. “Off / [Beginner Books logo top right] / To The Races / By Fred Phleger
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] OFF TO THE RACES By F. and M. Phleger B-50 [black horizontal text]”
Title Page: “OFF / TO THE / RACES / By / Fred and Marjorie / Phleger / Illustrated by / Leo Summers / BEGINNER BOOKS A Division of Random House, Inc”
Copyright: “(c) Copyright 1968 by Random House. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. / Published in New York by Random House, Inc., and simultaneously in Canada, by Random House of Can- / ada, Limited, Toronto. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 68-28458. Manufactured in the United States of America.”
DJ Front: Color illustration matching Book Front. “Off / [Beginner Books logo top right] / To The Races / By Fred Phleger
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] OFF TO THE RACES By F. and M. Phleger B-50 [black horizontal text]”
DJ Price: 195/195
DJ Flap Front: “195/195 [top right] / OFF / TO THE / RACES / [Illustration] / This book is about one of the most ex- … [… paragraph] / There are millions of bike riders in … […paragraph] / In OFF TO THE RACES, the reader … [… paragraph] / The Phlegers have captured the … [… paragraph] / This book comes from / the home of / THE CAT IN THE HAT / Beginner Books / A DIVISION OF RANDOM HOUSE, INC.”
DJ Flap Back: “THE PHLEGERS / [Phelgers photo] / Well-known to readers of Beginner … [… paragraph] / They have first-hand knowledge of … [… paragraph] / LEO SUMMERS / Mr. Summers has illustrated many… [… paragraph]”
First Edition Identification
First edition book states “Published in the United States by Random House” on the copyright page and has 'B-50' 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.