Milne, A. A. “Winnie-the-Pooh” [E. P. Dutton & Company, 1926]

MILNE, A. A. Winnie-the-Pooh.

New York: E. P. Dutton & Company, 1926. Thirty-ninth edition, issued November 1926, just one month after the stated first edition of October 1926. 8vo, 159pp. Publisher’s original green cloth, upper cover and spine stamped in gilt with the classic Ernest H. Shepard design of Christopher Robin and Pooh. Ownership inscription to title page. Front hinge cracked, corners rubbed, light soiling and scattered handling wear to the text block, with some general rubbing to cloth and extremities. A sound, attractive early copy in publisher’s binding. Good.

A wonderful example of just how immediately successful Winnie-the-Pooh was upon publication—this copy already in its thirty-ninth edition within a month of first issue. While not a true first, it remains an early and highly desirable 1926 printing from the original year of publication, retaining the iconic Shepard cover design that defines the book for most collectors. For many buyers, these rapid early printings offer the charm and period presence of the first edition at a far more approachable price point.