How and Why Wonder Books - The Mystery of The Missing Series Numbers Explained

The Mystery of The Missing Series Numbers Explained

When publication of the How and Why Wonder Book series first commenced in 1960, only the initial six titles in the series were produced. As time went by, and as the series proved to be highly successful, more new titles were added to expand its scope.

At the same time, a handful of titles also disappeared from the comprehensive "checklists" (located on back covers) when these volumes were revised and republished under a different title and/or series number. Specifically, there were six titles that were removed from checklists when they were reissued with a later series number. They were:

1. …5006 Stars (reissued as 5064 Stars)
2. …5019 Flight (reissued as 5065 Airplanes and the Story of Flight)
3. …5038 Fish (reissued as 5066 Fish)
4. …5044 Ships (reissued as 5067 Boats and Ships)
5. …5048 The Moon (reissued as 5068 The Moon)
6. …5052 Railroads (reissued as 5069 Trains and Railroads)

Although some of the titles were not altered from earlier versions, both the cover artwork and the interior content were changed. Thus, it is easy to distinguish between the early versions and the latter issues by the cover art alone.

The first 69 books in the series were issued with beautifully illustrated cover art, otherwise referred to as Painted Covers, during the 1960s. Later reprints in the 1970s, however, switched to Photo Covers. In fact, four of the last five volumes in the series were only produced in a photo cover version (Ecology, Extinct Animals, Snakes and Fossils). Strangely enough, one the final five titles (The Environment and You) was only issued in a painted cover, even though it was not released until the 1970s.

Because of the striking cover artwork, and thanks largely to the nostalgic appeal of these books, they have become collectable items once more today. Yet, one of the great mysteries for collectors is the absence of How and Why Wonder Book volumes numbered 5074 or 5075. While it may well have been the original intent of publishers to fill in these missing gaps in the series sequence, this was never done. With the advent of the ISBN numbering system, the 5075 number was eventually assigned to a 1985 hardcover reprint of Earl Schenck Miers book America and Its Presidents (ISBN 0-448-05075-7). The ISBN number associated with number 5074 (ISBN 0-448-05074-9) has never been assigned.