First Edition Identification
Dr. Seuss Beginner Books B-12
1959 Ann Can Fly
1959 B-12 Ann Can Fly
Fred Phleger. Robert Lopshire (Illustrator). Ann Can Fly. New York. Beginner Books: 1959.
Pages#: 64 pages.
Book Description: Color illustrated boards wrapped in matching dust jacket. The 12th book in the groundbreaking Beginner Book series, written specifically to help children learn to read while simultaneously engaging and entertaining them. The story tells Ann’s first flight in her father’s plane, where she not only sees the Grand Canyon and Lake Mead, but also learns to pilot the plane. Told using only 209 different words.
Pagination: Front fixed and free endpapers illustrated in color; [i] title; [ii] copyright; 3-63 story; [64] blank; Cat In The Hat Illustration on 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 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 65 years with tens of thousands of copies sold. Phleger was a nationally recognized marine biologist. Lopshire was a successful author and illustrator of children’s books 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 10 |
Scarcity Context
The first edition book in its original first edition DJ is Scarce to Uncommon: There was only 1 first edition found in the March 2024 survey offered at $85. 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. “ANN CAN FLY / BY FRED PHLEGER ILLUSTRATED BY ROPERT LOPSHIRE”
Note: Click on any of the book’s images to see at larger scale.
Book Back: Bound in red paper covered boards. Blank with no illustration or text.
Book Spine: “ANN CAN FLY PHLEGER BEGINNER BOOKS, INC B-12 [white horizontal text]”
Title Page: “Ann Can Fly / By FRED PHLEGER / [plane illustration] / Illustrated by ROBERT LOPSHIRE / Beginner Books, Inc. / DISTRIBUTED BY RANDOM HOUSE”
Copyright: “First Printing. (c) Copyright 1959 by Fred Phleger. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright / Conventions. Published in New York by Beginner Books, Inc., and simultaneously in Toronto, Canada, by Random House / of Canada, Limited. Manufactured in the United States of America. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 59-13406.”
DJ Front: Color illustration matching book cover. With added Beginner Books logo. “ANN CAN FLY / [Beginner Books logo right] / BY FRED PHLEGER ILLUSTRATED BY ROPERT LOPSHIRE”
DJ Back: Beginner Books DJ Back ‘D’: 1959 12 Titles
“What they say about / BEGINNER BOOKS / THE EDUCATORS: / “I was delighted with the Beginner Books … [… paragraph] / [Beginner Book logo] / THE PRESS: / “A real bonanza for the 1st … [… paragraph] / THE PARENTS: / “BEGINNER BOOKS are in my humble opinion, … [… paragraph] / / THE CHILDREN: “I love the BEGINNER BOOKS because I / can READ them!” — Kathy Winters (age 7) / ALREADY PUBLISHED / [First 12 BB titles listed in two columns of six] / 64 pages • color illustrations throughout • Each, $1.95 / Beginner Books, Inc. / DISTRIBUTED BY RANDOM HOUSE, 457 MADISON AVE. NEW YORK, 22 N.Y.”
DJ Spine: “ANN CAN FLY PHLEGER BEGINNER BOOKS, INC B-12 [white horizontal text]”
DJ Price: 195/195
DJ Flap Front: “195/195 [top right] / [Beginner Books Logo] / Ann Can Fly / by FRED PHLEGER / It’s exciting to take a plane trip. / It’s even more exciting when it’s / your first plant trip / And if, like Ann in this story, … [… paragraph] / Air-minded boys and girls will … […paragraph] / Illustrated by ROBERT LOPSHIRE”
DJ Flap Back: “[Two paragraph Fred Phleger biography] / [Two paragraph Robert Lopshire biography]”
First Edition Identification
First edition book states ‘First Printing’ on the copyright page and has ‘B-12’ on the spine.
First edition dust jacket is Beginner Books 1959 DJ ‘D’ with 12 titles listed and with ‘B-12’ 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 omits ‘First Printing’ statement.
Second printing DJ is identical to the first printing DJ (1959 DJ ‘D’).
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.