| I hadn't realized that the 1907 edition was published by Houghton Mifflin. That's probably the cause of the confusion for the 1938 printing. Although, with a change in the illustrator, wouldn't the 1938 edition also have been a first? |
Epaminondas and his Auntie first appeared as a story in the Sara Cone Bryant book
Stories to Tell to Children, published in 1907. In 1938 it was published as a stand alone picture book, and included illustrations by Inez Hogan. This would be first edition book.
The first edition
Epaminondas and his Auntie with dust jacket would have appeal to a wide range of children's book collectors. Inez Hogan books are very collectible primarily due to her Nicodemus books, which the Epaminondas book is closely associated.
I had initially thought a first edition
Epaminondas and his Auntie would have only modest value, but reconsidered after seeing how the prices of the Nicodemus books vary widely in the secondary market.
In your description do emphasize the Black Americana aspect of the story and the racist nature of the Hogan illustrations. Background information on Inez Hogan would also be helpful. I think the Hogan illustrations are more important to the value of the book than Bryant's authorship.
