Stan Zielinski Most Valuable First Edition Picturebooks The following table lists fifty illustrators in the Children’s Picturebook Price Guide with the highest average book value. The value would be for first edition books, with dust jackets. The table also includes the number of books listed in the price guide for each illustrator. Not surprisingly, Dr. Seuss heads … Read more
Book collectors hail from a variety of economic backgrounds. For some, twenty dollars is a great deal to spend, while for others, hundreds or even thousands is a reasonable price to add a first edition children’s picturebook to their collection. To each, his or her own. Even with this disparity, there are areas of interest … Read more
First Edition Identification The Happy Lion Roars; illustrated by Roger Duvoisin, written by Louise Fatio; Whittlesly House, 1957. Childrens Picturebook Price Guide: $160 Very Good+ The Happy Lion Roars is the third of the Happy Lion books, and the sixth of eighteen books Roger Duvoisin and his wife, Louise Fatio, worked on together. The Happy … Read more
First Edition Identification A Doll For Marie; illustrated by Roger Duvoisin, written by Louise Fatio; Whittlesly House, 1957. Childrens Picturebook Price Guide: $180 Very Good+ (with the supplemental doll book) A Doll For Marie is an interesting collector piece because of the identical miniature copy of the book inserted in a back pocket (see photo). … Read more
First Edition Identification Petunia’s Christmas; written and illustrated by Roger Duvoisin; Borzoi/Knopf, 1952. Childrens Picturebook Price Guide: $240 Very Good+ (updated) Continuing our Duvoisin theme (see Petunia), Petunia’s Christmas is the third of the Petunia books written and illustrated by Roger Duvoisin. The Petunia books: Petunia 1950 Petunia And The Song 1951 Petunia’s Christmas 1952 … Read more
First Edition Identification Petunia; written and illustrated by Roger Duvoisin; Borzoi/Knopf, 1950. Childrens Picturebook Price Guide: $320 Very Good+ (updated) Roger Duvoisin illustrated over one hundred books in a career spanning five decades. Scribner published Duvoisin’s first book in 1932, A Little Boy Was Drawing (Scribner, 1932; $280 VG+). This unedited first effort made little … Read more
Dr. Seuss First Edition Identification The Lorax, 1971 Childrens Picturebook Price Guide: $260 Fine (updated) “I am Lorax. I speak for the trees, for the trees that have no tongues. And I’m asking you, Sir, at the top of my lungs. Oh please do not cut down another one.”—The Lorax, Dr. Seuss, 1971 The Lorax … Read more
Identifying Contemporary First Edition Books Book collectors and booksellers are meticulous in their meaning of “First Edition.” In the book collecting industry, “First Edition” is always meant to be the first printing of the first edition of the book. It is very important for the novice book collector or bookseller to understand that the meaning … Read more
From yesterday’s USA Today, the most memorable books of the past 25 years: 25 Books that leave a legacy Books tell a story — about our reading preferences, certainly, but also about what’s happening in our world. USA TODAY’s book editors and critics chose 25 titles that made an impact on readers and the publishing … Read more
Dr. Seuss First Edition Identification Dr. Seuss’s Sleep Book, 1962 Childrens Picturebook Price Guide: $200 VG+ Dr. Seuss’s Sleep Book was the 17th large-format children’s book written and illustrated by Theodor Seuss Geisel, and twenty-first overall. The first edition continues to show up on eBay for modest prices a couple of times per month. In … Read more