First Edition Points and Criteria for Stuart Little

Year Published: 1945
Author Last Name: White
Author First Name: E.B.
Publisher: Harper & Brothers
Original Price: $2.00
Pages: 131

"FIRST EDITION" is stated on the copyright page. Boards are beige pictorial cloth with a green and white illustration of Stuart pulling a rope. Title on the cover is in white, and the other lettering is in green. Illustration and lettering on spine is similiarly set in green and white.

The dust jacket has a $2.00 price on the top of the front flap, and "Harper & Brothers, Publishers" on the bottom of the same flap. The price is the relevant first edition point, and the presence of "Harper & Brothers, Publishers" is not a true point because it is found on all jackets with the $2.00 price and even on jackets with an increased $2.25 price. It is also worth while to note that the same $2.00 priced jacket was produced as late as the fifth printing.


Picture of the 1945 first edition dust jacket for Stuart Little.


Picture of the first edition copyright page for Stuart Little.


Picture of dust jacket where original $2.00 price is found for Stuart Little.


Picture of the back dust jacket for the first edition of Stuart Little.


Picture of the first edition Harper & Brothers boards for Stuart Little.


Picture of the back dust jacket flap for the first edition of Stuart Little.


Picture of the first edition title page for Stuart Little.




First State? There is not enough evidence to say for sure, but the book on the top is a third printing and has a damaged page number. The book on the bottom is a first printing, and has a perfect page number. The question is when did the page plate get damaged? If we could verify the existence of a damaged page number on a first printing, then we could establish the existence of two first edition states. Until then it is just a speculation.