First Edition Identification
Dr. Seuss Beginner Books B-13
1960 One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
1960 B-13 One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
Dr. Seuss. One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. New York. Beginner Books: 1960.
Pages#: 64 pages.
Book Description: Color illustrated boards wrapped in matching dust jacket. The 13th Beginner Books, where young children can learn to read via a fun story told with a simple rhyming scheme. The story follows Jay and Kay, and the many amazing pets and acquaintances they have. 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 and copyright; [ii] small B&W illustration; 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 Prestige Collectible: Early book in ground breaking Beginner Books series, which changed the way children learned to read in America. Embraced by the public for 64 years with millions of copies sold. The 13th bestselling children’s hardback of all-time according to Publisher’s Weekly. Theodor Seuss Giesel is the most successful children’s book author/illustrator of all-time and has a strong collector interest. Dr. Seuss, therefore 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 9 | 10 | 5 | 10 | 2 | 7 | 10 | 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 $733, ranging from $750 to $700.
First Edition Book & Dust Jacket Descriptions
Book Front: Bound in glossy yellow paper covered boards with color illustration. “By Dr. Seuss / ONE FISH, TWO FISH, RED FISH, BLUE FISH”
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] One fish two fish red fish blue fish Dr. Seuss B-13 [black horizontal text]”
Title Page: “One fish / two fish / red fish / blue fish / By Dr. Seuss / BEGINNER BOOKS, INC. / Distributed by Random House / [two-line copyright statement]”
Copyright: “(c) Copyright 1960 by Dr. Seuss. 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. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 60-7180. Manufactured in the United States of America.”
DJ Front: Color illustration matching book cover. With added Beginner Books logo. “By Dr. Seuss / [Beginner Books logo top right] / ONE FISH, TWO FISH, RED FISH, BLUE FISH”
DJ Back: Beginner Books DJ Back ‘E’: 1960 Unique
“EXPERTS IN THE READING FIELD ACLAIM / One fish two fish red fish blue fish / “Dr. Seuss has anticipated the child’s needs in reading, and has supplied … [… paragraph] / — Dr. Irving Lorge, Teachers College, Columbia University / [illustration] / “A must for first and second grade classrooms. Teachers will rejoice … [… paragraph] / –Dr. Bessie B. Moore, Chairman, Arkansas Library Commission and Imme- / diate Past President, American Assn. of Library Trustees / [illustration] / “The text encourages, in fact demands, the practice of phonetic skills … [… paragraph] / –Dr. Herbert C. Rudman, College of Education, Michigan State University / Beginner Books, Inc. / DISTRIBUTED BY RANDOM HOUSE, 457 MADISON AVE. NEW YORK 22, N.Y.”
DJ Spine: “[BB logo] BEGINNER BOOKS [black horizontal text] One fish two fish red fish blue fish Dr. Seuss B-13 [black horizontal text]”
DJ Price: 195/195
DJ Flap Front: “195/195 [top right] /One Fish two Fish / red Fish blue Fish / A NOTED EDUCATOR SAYS … / “Another Dr. Seuss gem! / A beginning reading book / PLUS something new. / This is a dual-purpose book / THE FIRST AND SECOND GRADER will … [… paragraph] / THE CHILD OF KINDERGARTEN AGE will … […paragraph] / / THE SHORT, HILARIOUSLY ILLUSTRATED … [… paragraph] / [Jeanne Chall signature] / JEANNE CHALL, PH D, / Samuel B. Heckman Educational Clinic / The City College, N. Y. / For what other educators have said about / One Fish two Fish / red Fish blue Fish / see the back of this jacket”
DJ Flap Back: “Dr. Seuss / [image of CITH & CITH Comes Back covers] / started the Beginner … [… paragraph] / OTHER BEGINNER BOOKS: / [10 Beginner Books listed] / EACH $1.95 / [Beginner Books logo]”
First Edition Identification
First edition book states “Distributed by Random House” on the title/copyright page and with a white ‘B-13’ on the spine.
First edition dust jacket is Beginner Books 1960 DJ ‘E’ unique to BB-13 One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
Second Printings and Later
Second printing book is identical to first printing.
Second printing DJ is Beginner Books 1960 DJ ‘F’ with 18 titles listed. See Beginner Books Dust Jacket Backs from Chapter 52 of the First Edition Identification Guide: Beginner Books
Third printing book states ‘A Division of Random House, Inc.’ on the title page.
One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish Third Printing \
Third printing dust jacket is 1960 ‘F’ version ‘c’ with “DIVISION OF RANDOM HOUSE”.
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.