How to identify first editions
Here you can read an introduction to these lists. The introduction explains the background and the problems encountered when trying to identify first edition Ladybird books.
If you find an earler edition, please let me know.
1) Series 401. Animal Rhyming Tales
Series 401
2) Series 413
Series 413
3) Series 417
The Adventures of Wonk – series 417
4) Series 455
Uncle Mac
5) Series 474
Tasseltip
6) Series 497
Animal Tales
7) Series 522
Bible Stories
Series 536 Nature
9) Series 538 and 549 Robing Hood; The Impatient Horse
Robin Hood; Impatient Horse
History series
11) Series 563
Learning to read (before Key Words)
12) Series 584
Recognition books
13) Series 587
‘Flight’ series
16) Series 606b People at Work
People at Work
17) Series 606c
Sports
18) Series 606d
Public Services, Through the Ages, Travel
Various series
21) Series 633
Hobbies
22) Series 634
Learnabouts
23) Series 704
Picture books
So helpful, many thanks for taking the time to create this web site. Have just been able to confirm that the copy of Tootles The Taxi bought earlier today is a first edition. I’m delighted!
Excellent 😉
Love this …thanks …look forward to later series
Thank you. More coming very soon
Thank you for all your hard work in putting this together. I have no excuse now for not organising my collection – just daunted!
You certainly have put a lot of work into your collection! I collect the original Puffin Picture Books (six to go) and of course Ladybirds. Living in Australia I have contributed enormously to Royal Mail and hate the eBay Global Shipping Program. I have a first edition plus dust jacket of The Impatient Horse and ten firsts of series 401 with jackets and it is fun searching for more. What about The Tinker’s Wig? I really admire what you have done.
Very good point! I’ve probably forgotten to include The Tinkers Wig in my lists, haven’t I? I must correct that if so, so thanks for pointing it out. Yes, I don’t envy you trying to put a collection together from Australia – so much harder. But it sounds you’ve done brilliantly! Good luck with it
Hi, I have really enjoyed looking through your obviously brilliant listing for new editions etc. It has really been helpful and enlightening so many thanks fore that. I see that series 651 hasn’t been included. I have an almost mint condition copy of ‘Prehistoric Animals and Fossils’, 1974 and I believe it is a first edition as the title as at the end of the listing on the back, and there were only 6 titles in the series. Can anyone help with info please?
Thanks Colin. You are right – I need to push forward a little bit with the first edition list. The fact is, from the 1970s onwards, the concept of ‘first edition’ becomes a lot more meaningless because the production methods had changed so much and the print runs were vast. This book was issued with two different cover styles – I’ll check my collection later today and let you know what I believe to be the first edition.
Hi Helen, and thanks for getting back so quickly on this. I hope all this bombarding you with info on my books doesn’t annoy you, but I am really keen to clarify things with my books if possible. I’ve now discovered that I have a book entitled: ‘A First Did You Know Book’ with nothing on the back other than a ladybird on a key. Would this be a first edition?
Thanks,
Colin
The three Do You Know books were designed to support the Key Words to Reading series so they have the key logo on the back. There were 6 books in the series – which also included The Record Breakers, Danger Men and Great Men and Women. You will find this information on my ‘Complete List’ – look under Series 641. The Complete List is the first item under the ‘Books’ tab.
Hi, I also have a book from series 649 ‘What to look for Outside a Church’ which is also the last title on the back of the book. There are only 5 titles in this series. Can anyone help with info please?
Thanks.
Yes, I believe the first edition of What to Look for Outside a Church has a tally number of 300.
Hi, mine says ‘there are now over 330 titles’ on the back, but it is the last on the list. If they’re at the end of the list on the back does that mean they’re first editions?
Thanks,
Colin
Hi again. I also have 2 books from series 707. Both appear at the end of the listing on the back. They are: ‘The story of the Cowboy’ & ‘The story of the Indians’. Any info would be much appreciated.
Thanks,
Colin
See series 707 on my ‘Complete List’
Hi again Helen. Sorry to bother you again on this, but your wonderful research has really got me thinking about my books. With regards to the ‘Do you Know Book’ I see that it is book three of the key words easy readers series, and I also have a book from the same series entitled ‘Danger Men’ which is book two. Both appear to be from the late sixties or early seventies. Are these unique?
Thanks,
Colin
Hi again Helen, and I am really sorry to bother you, and I hope this will be the last book I mention. It is from series 706. It is entitled: ‘Brownie Guides’, only three books in the series when this was published in 1978, and this title is at the end of the list on the back.
Would this be a first edition?
Many thanks and apologies once more,
Colin
This website is so useful, thank you so much for the time and effort you’ve put into this! So happy to find people who appreciate vintage Ladybird books as much as me! I have a copy of Life of the Honey Bee, matt cover, 2’6 Net, 240 Ladybird titles – which dates it to 1969 according to your previous pages, but I can’t see series 651 on this list, I’d love to know if it’s a first edition – not that I’d part with it!
Hi Sarah
Thanks for your message. You’re right – I seem to have missed out series 651 for some reason. I must sort that out.
But in the meantime, yes, I believe a tally number of 240 would indicate a 1st ed of this lovely book.
Hi Helen, thank you that’s brilliant, thanks for replying so quickly!
I’ve just discovered 8 Series 401 books when clearing my parents house. Thank you for your guidance, I now know they are not first editions as they state Series 401 inside the cover. They cost 2/6 net. Two have a ladybird on the bottom right hand corner. My question is are there collectors for these editions or not? I don’t want them but wasn’t sure what to do with them.
Hi Anne
Someone will want them, I’m sure. Otherwise you’ll find your local Oxfam Bookshop is likely to have an appreciation of the vintage books. For information about selling them, have a look at the second question on my FAQs page: https://ladybirdflyawayhome.com/frequently-asked-questions/
Good luck
Thank you so much for replying so quickly and for the information.
Hi, I am making my way through your list and very helpful it is, but I can’t find info about list 678 the basic arithmetic series? Will you be adding that one soon, or have I missed it somewhere?
Thank you.
Helen –
Please would you fix the links to the pages about Series 536 and 704?
Fist of all, thank you for putting together such a comprehensive and interesting resource.
I’ve just been going through my own childhood books, and found what looks like an anomaly.
In ‘Learning to Read NUMBERS, price 2’6, the series 563 is correctly identified on page 2, but on the back cover it states “List of titles in Series 606A (Bible stories, etc.), then listing 9 titles in series 563. Tally number 220.
Is this a well-know mistake version, or a bit of a rarity?
Thanks
Dave
Hi Helen
Can you confirm to me if 606d series includes Tom Thumb and Pinocchio.. I have 28 titles which all have early illustrations but the two books I have mentioned I can only see a much later illustration yet titles are listed on back of covers of 606d covers
Hi Tracey
You’ll find information about this series on the lists on my website – but there were 27 original Well Loved Tales – the last one in the series was The Musicians of Bremen (1974). This date was around the time that the company was sold and the new owners were keen to bring in format changes. The titles on the back of the books were re-arranged into reading levels rather than chronology – so if you have a book printed later 1970s then it probably presents the books available out of chronology. Tom Thumb and Pinocchio were two of the titles brought out some years after the last of the originals. New books (and revised style books) began to come out from 1979. As you say, you can see immediately that these are very different books from the originals, with a sketchy style of illustration, light green covers and change of layout. Hope this helps.
What happened to the lists concerning Series 671 and 684?
Good point. Just one book in each of those ‘series’ so I seem to have missed them off and should try to find a place for them. Well ‘Understanding Maps’ is easily identified because (embarrassingly) the 1st ed has a misprint on the bottom of the first text page: the word ‘longitude 51 30’ is used instead of ‘latitude’. This was quickly corrected in later editions. Handwriting. I think the 1st ed is tally 200.
The earliest edition of ‘Understanding Maps’ bears the tally number 180.
Indeed it does – but perhaps better identified by the printing mistake I mentioned elsewhere, as it was quickly corrected.