Research!

Yup.



One of the things I like best about some of the interesting books is doing the research on them.

But then -- if you have to spend HOURS doing it and still get nowhere.... well, that's slightly different.

Today was one of the latter days.

Here's the front cover of the book on which I spent my precious time :

Uncle Shelby's A Giraffe and a Half 

by 

Shel Silverstein

Not really special to look at is it?

But ---  this could be a 1st edition.

Could being the operative word here.  My references list this book. However, the only way to truly identify a first edition according to these references, is by the price on the dust jacket. WHICH I DON'T HAVE (darn it, it would have quadrupled the price, you know).

At any rate, what the references left out is the binding style for the first edition.... 

So far, I've found several cover illustrations, at least two binding styles, and NO ONE who seems to actually OWN a copy of the first edition.

Small print run, I'm thinking.  Though not his first published book, this title is one of the early titles  - it's from 1964. 

And, as far as I can tell (and you certainly can email or comment if I'm wrong) there's NO bibliography of Shel Silverstein material.  WHY NOT, I ask?  He's a genius, he is. And beloved around the world by parents and children. So why no bibliography?

Maybe I'll have to put one together.  (Yeah.... along with the one on C. J. Cherryh that I started back in 1988).

Now, since I've seen other early titles by Silverstein, and because I emailed the Shel Silverstein website and asked the family ,who gave me a partial answer, (I'm waiting for a more comprehensive answer to come forthwith), I personally think that this is, indeed a First printing of the First edition. 

However, since I can't verify this yet, I'll have to hold off selling the book until I've done more RESEARCH.  

Sigh. 

Oh, and so far, I haven't found any prices on this book yet.

Hmmmm....