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I have been looking for a book I used to read from my local library in the mid-late 70s. It was an older book even then; most likely published in the 40s-50s. It was about a family with 4 children who moved to the country from the city. There was an “island” in the stream behind their house and the 3 older children conviced their parents to let them stay out there and camp in a clubhouse/camp over the summer. I believe there were 2 boys and 2 girls. The youngest was a girl (maybe called Winkie??). There was a secret passage to the clubhouse that really was just covered by the branches from a bush that got very thin by the end of the summer. The Monro poem “Overheard in a Salt Marsh” was referenced in the book. Winkie was always looking for green glass beads that had been accidentally left like in the poem. There were a few illustrations, line drawings, but not too many. It had a green library binding (I think) and I don’t remember the name because I just knew where it was on the shelves and would check it out every few months to re-read it. I have no idea of the author, but based on where I remember it being shelved, the author’s name was probably something in the last half of the alphabet…maybe even last 1/3. But not all the way to the end. I would LOVE to identify this book! Our local library has moved to a different location and replaced almost all of their children’s collection since that time, so looking there is not helpful. I’ve been asking people if they remembered this book for YEARS, and no one does…
Not sure if my previous reply came through or not. This is ‘The invisible island’ by Dean Marshall (1948). The four children are Dit, Alan, David and Winkie. The library summary only refers to the eldest three: When the Guthrie’s moved from New York apartment to the country the three children found that they not only had a lovely brook that ran into a lake, but more exciting yet, they had a real island. Right in the middle of the wooded acres surrounding their New home up in Connecticut!On one side was the pond, on another a wide brook, and running from that to the pond, another, narrower brook. So here the four young Guthries were, ‘cast away on a desert island’ which they promptly named Invisible.
Mother sent ‘rations’ from ‘the wreck’ which was the name they gave the house beyond the orchard; David discovered a cave; Winkie, who still believed in fairies, caught a glimpse of a dryad (with freckles); and a pleasant, shivery mystery hung over the island from the very beginning. Solved, it put the happiest possible ending to a story already bursting with all the things children love. Here are summertime and out of doors and make believe all woven into a story of exceptional beauty.
Hi, I’m looking for a children’s mystery that I read in the 70’s or 80’s. A brother and sister went to live with a great aunt or cousin for the summer and the woman was odd. One minute she would be in the kitchen, the next in the attic and they thought she was a witch. It turns out that the entire kitchen pantry was a dumbwaiter and that’s how she was getting from room to room so quickly. For the life of me I can’t find it anywhere or remember any more. Ringing any bells for anyone…? Thanks in advance!
Hello, I’m looking for a children’s book I read in the mid-80s. I think it was set in America or Canada, in the winter (possibly Christmastime, I think there was snow). It was about a child who somehow got lost in the woods/separated from their father and ended up being taken in by an old man in his house/cabin, where they waited for the kid’s father to find him/her. The interesting/spooky/mysterious thing was that (and this is where I’m even more vague on details!) there was some kind of flashing light on a picture or map in the house, which seemed to hint that the father was getting closer. It all sounds bonkers but I remember it being quite thrilling when I read it as a kid. I think the cover image was a house in the woods with a light in the window. I’ve been looking for it for literally years, so will be grateful for any help at all. Thank you!
Hello, I’m looking for a book i read as a kid in the 1980’s that was about a couple of animals that lived on a houseboat. Possibly living on the river thames. The animals were native to the english countryside if i remember correctly. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Perhaps the Riverboat books by Lucy and Eric Kincaid?
i loved the teenie weenies!
Hello! I’m looking for a book I read when young, in the late 60’s. The story is of a family that lives in a country house / woods during the summer months and in town in the winter. The young lady in the story develops a friendship with a neighbor boy – and it turns out that he belongs to a family of birds, who all turn back into birds and fly away for the winter. The telling plot line is that a local hunter shoots some birdshot and wounds the family, and the young man has his arm bandaged from the wound, which is how the girl finds out the entire family is birds. Any ideas! Loved this story and cannot remember the title or author.
I’m looking for an illustrated children’s book from the 1980’s. It’s about a child who is looking for the perfect pet. He/she goes through various different pets but ends up with a dog as the perfect pet. Here’s the distinguising part. He/she names all the potential pets Bandit.
I am a librarian at an elementary school and a former student called and asked if I knew of a book she used to check out. She was a first grader in 1974, so the book had to be from the 50’s or 60’s. It is a picture book. In the book there is a little girl that walks by a tiny house every day and one day she goes into the house. It is a mess inside and she begins to clean up the kitchen, she makes little curtains for the house and eventually she cleans it all up and then a family of tiny people move in to the house. Any ideas?
How about The Tiny Little House? No tiny people, but definitely a little house to clean up. She might also be confusing that one with A Tiny Family by Norman Bridwell, which was super popular with little girls around that time.
Maybe little boys too.
Also check out The Teenie Weenies.
Looking for a children’s boom with two little boys nicknamed Dingy and Dirty
The Rumpus on Commodore Hill?
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/a/cora-cheyney-2/the-rumpus-on-commodore-hill/
Looking for a children’s book with two little boys nicknamed Dingy and Dirty
Looking for a short illustrated children’s book published probably 1970-1990. I read it to my daughter 1988-1992 or so.
1) I seem to recall a treehouse in a main illustration
2) Definitely featured a series of non-standard animal sounds:
–turkey goes poterack, poterack (sp etc ??)
–pig goes crucy, crucy
— dog goes boo, boo
Try this: Carol Morley, Farmyard Song.
Hi, I’m looking for a book that my sister remembers from our childhood but she can’t remember the name or author. She said it involves 3 brothers, either Princes or Kings she thinks, and they each have their own Kingdom Shangri la, Shangri la la and Shangri la la la. She also remembers that it had mountains made of toffees and the illustrations were just line drawings. Please help, we have been trying to find this book for many years now.
We frequently get questions about Dandelion Topsy-Turvy books. There are a few collections onine in box but I just saw an Ebay offer with photographs of all the books, both sides, if anyone wants to see them for reference https://www.ebay.com/itm/My-Dandelion-Library-Complete-Set-of-18-Topsy-Turvy-Books-36-Stories-1961/193902940923?hash=item2d258412fb:g:5mIAAOSwdttgL7fw
I’m looking for a children’s book about a dog that gets finishing classes or some kind of fancy school. And the dog starts to dress not like a dog and gets it’s hair done and hangs out with all these cool dogs. He gets so fancy he leaves home and goes and hangs out with the partying dogs at this big house. The dog keeps partying until it’s tired out and it’s friends are gone. And it slowly breaks down and loses all its fancy clothes and hair styling and once it’s finally just back to being a dog, he’s wandering the street looking for some place to go, he finds home. And it shows him laying inside a new house being a regular dog. Some of the details, maybe most of them are kind of iffy, but that’s the general story. I’ve been trying to think of it for so long, I’m not sure where I’ve started to fabricate a little.
Is there any chance this is The Housekeeper’s Dog by Jerry Smath?
It WAS this book. I eventually figured it out by going on amazon and finding books that closer and closer reminded me of this one(same publisher probably, can’t remember exactly). I was looking for this for long. Thanks for commenting.
Hi, I used to read a book when I was young, I remember the name as ‘Minsieyr Souris’. A French book about a family of mice who smoked! I may be remembering the name wrong. Does anyone have any ideas?
It’s likely to have been Monsieur Souris or Monsieur la Souris if that helps. I couldn’t find it. There’s a murder mystery and movie by that name which makes this one hard to see!
I’m trying to find a children’s book that is set in a world where words but be bought, and this boy is trying to buy/collect beautiful words for a girl..I know it was translated but I can’t remember the name of it for the life of me!!
Help! I’m searching for a children book, it’s about a Chinese family who lived in the village during the snow. One timer, they meet children who played in the snow but theyre not with their parents. The family asked the kids to stay at their house, but later in the morning turns out that they’re a family of red fox.
I’m trying to find a book that’s about a Chinese family in a village encounter children who were playing in the snow. They asked the children to stay in their house by the night. But in the morning it turns out they’re a family of red fox. Does anyone know the title or the author of the story?
My sister answered my question: What Mary Jo Shared.
I am trying to remember the name of a picture book from the 70’s about a black girl sharing her father at show-and-tell.
Thanks for posting the answer from your sister. I remember that book from teaching! Sweet book.
Yes! We loved it.
Thanks for writing back Alyssa. Good to be reminded of this lovely little set. I haven’t had one for quite a few years. Good luck with finding what you want. Suzanne
I’m trying to remember a children’s book that was a larger-sized square paperback. All I can remember for certain was that there was a page in the middle (possibly spread over two pages) where there was tons of candy and sweets and stuff. I want to say the cover of the book was like a mint green background color and I think the main character was a boy. I probably first found this book at the library in the early 90’s, and I don’t remember thinking it was very old or anything, so it was probably a book published in the late 80’s or early 90’s.
Could it be Sticky Stanley? Tons of candy and sweets, a boy, and it’s square – but it’s a small book – either paperback or hardcover – and the cover is white (though with a green candy jar). It’s also a bit older than that – I read it as a kid in the ’70s; it was published by1970 if not earlier. Don’t know if they later printed a larger version of it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3zy1R6xbIo
https://www.ebay.com/p/1513550
Looking for a children’sbook about a man who bought kippers wrapped in newspaper for his wife, who hated the smell but couldn’t bring herself to tell him.
Kippers in newspaper makes me think of Enid Blyton’s Mr. Twiddle books.
Loooking for a children’s book pre 1970 about a man who went to a shop and got some kippers, wrapped up in newspaper to cook for his wife who hated the smell but loved him too much to tell him
I’m looking for a book that I read in 2014 maybe 2015, it’s a horror book. I can only remember what the cover looks like. Its a girl standing behind I think her brother, and I’m pretty sure they are looking into a broken bloody mirror, but if it’s not a mirror, I think it may just be blood over the image of them.
Probably Warton and the King of the Skies.
Looking for a children’s novel that I read around 2010. I picked it up from my elementary’s ghost story section in the library. On the cover, there is a girl looking into a full length mirror below a staircase in an old looking house. There is a woman/ghost in the mirror looking back at her. The main part of the book I remember is the ghost woman “beckoning” her from the mirror. The illustration on the cover looks like it was from the 90s. It was a paperback, and the author wrote other books of the same genre, but they weren’t a popular series.
It sounds like Cress Delehanty, a novel by Jessamyn West. Cress was at an awkward stage, about 13?
Hi all, I’m looking for a small vintage set of 3-5 yellow children’s books that came in a matching slipcase. They were really small, maybe 3×4″. One of the books had what I remember to be a little white bunny whose heart went “boom puddy, boom puddy, boom, boom, boom.” That’s unfortunately all I can remember. I read them in the 80s, but they might have been older. Thanks for any help!
I think it’s the Bunny’s Nutshell Library by Robert Krauss. Here are my notes from books sold a while ago, You’ll be able to see images on Google or Abe:
NY: Harper & Row, (1965) very early printing; in full colour matte papercovered card box with full coloured illustrations, of bunny writing from front and back, tree with books inside on spine, butterflies on top. Yellow boards with bunny writing in book printed in green; pastel jackets with alternate colour spines, yellow/blue, lavender/spring green, all with three or four colour drawing main character; Robin and Jupiter 48 pp, others 32 pp.
Book titles: The First Robin; The Silver Dandelion; Springfellow’s Parade; Juniper.
I think the set was reprinted, at least it has an ISBN (post 1972), but it is very expensive. The best one in box on abe is probably the least expensive, from Picture Book Cottage, real, reliable, children’s booksellers. I would look for the occasional ex-library by title and forget the box unless you are a collector! There are a couple of very beat up sets without jackets on Ebay for $80 but if you are going to spend that much you might as well get a set that will hold its value. Ebay might be a good source for the individual books because people won’t know where they came from but I don’t see any right now..
Oh my goodness, this is absolutely it! I thought I’d never see these again. Thank you so very much.
Good Night, Fred, by Rosemary Wells.
It would be one of the Morton and Warton Toad series.
It’s a chapter from Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle. Patsy refuses to wash, and Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle’s remedy is to have her parents plant radish seeds in the grime.
Along with 80,000 other Oregonians, our power was out from Friday Feb 12 to late yesterday due to a severe ice storm. (also cell and landline) I just went ahead and approved 23 emails, so there will be some duplicates. Sorry folks,
Glad to see you’re back!
Hi. I am searching for a book my Mom gave me when I started kindergarten in 1964. It was about a girl on her first day of school. She did not want to go and was scared, not talking to any kids. I think she loved to draw pictures and suddenly she finds a red pencil in her pocket. She thinks her Mother put it in her pocket of her dress which makes her very happy for the rest of the day.
Could you be thinking of B is for Betsy?
I think it was published later, but maybe “Katy’s First Day” by Jean Conder Soule?
Looking for an illustrated book purchased in the mid 1990’s. The book is about a young native. He has a dream and visits the native populations around the world. Each place is illustrated, showing types of dress, housing etc… and each place has a short written description as well. It was written by a Chief. Dream Walker, Running Turtle may be names associated with the book. The book was paperback and bound landscape format and was approximately 9×14.
Hi all! I am looking for a children’s book read to me in early 1970’s. It is about a child, a girl I believe, who does not want to wash. Her mom lets this happen and the dirt builds up on her face. Then her mom “pushes” or plants tomato (I think) seeds into the dirt on her cheek…and they start to grow. Any help would be appreciated! Thanks.
Hi everyone! I’ve been searching for the title of a book I read to the children in my preschool class. It was about jungle animals that were passing along rumors of a wild creature that had never been seen before. They create vivid descriptions of this wild creature and they attempt to catch it only to find out it’s a hippo. Help please.
Hi, I am looking for a book I read in the early 80s as a child. It was about a child talking on the phone with his or her grandma. The grandma comes through the phone and is very tiny and has birthday cake with them.
I am looking for a book that I used in my classroom in the 90’s. It is about toad brothers who have many adventures. One toad is a home body . The other creates
a way to fly.
I seek a book that I read at my grandmothers house in the 90s. It was probably printed in the 50s-60s. It was a children’s book of short sci-fi stories about the future. In one story a boy and a member of his family were living on the moon and had to get home before running out of air. I remember enjoying it because the authors thought that by the 90s-2000s we would be inhabiting space.
It wasn’t S is for Space, I think it had multiple authors.
Hello – I am looking for a children’s book from 1960s/70s – I can’t remember the name but it was about winged (angels?) artists that used pastels
at drawing tables up in the clouds.. It was lavishly illustrated and I just can’t remember much else about it. Ring any bells?
Oh, yes. I still have my copy. Just ran down to check. If it’s the one I have, it’s called Lion, by William Pene du Bois.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11719401-lion
A friend whose “in the vicinity” of around 70 wrote me the following and I’m looking to help her identify the author and title of this favorite of her childhood.
“I read a book when I was fairly young. I can’t remember the name of the book or the author. It was about a young, awkward girl who had a huge crush on Tyrone Power. There was a subplot about putting on a Shakespeare play; I think it was the one that has Puck as a character. I cannot trace this book, have Googled my heart out. By any chance, does some out out there remember this book?”
I’m looking for a children’s book. My granny used to read it to my brother when he was young (1980s). Part of it went something along the lines of . . . When polar bear stayed out to late he came home in a dreadful state.
I’m having no luck at all with finding it. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Hello, I am desperately looking for a book from my childhood. Written anytime before or in the early 2000’s. Pink cover. Chapter book. About a girl who goes to live with her aunt. I remember she arrives at night and the aunt is really strict. Has a cat. Has a bead curtain and is single and quite lonely. I think she makes friends with the neighbor and has some fun before falling ill which is when the aunt comes to show affection for her. Thank you so much
Magic Elizabeth.
Thank you so much. You can’t know how much this means to me 💗
One of my own favourites from years ago.
hi! i believe the book you’re describing is Pollyanna. She cheers up the town by playing the Glad Game, but then a car hits her and breaks her legs so the townspeople are the ones who cheer her up instead. It looks like the first edition cover is what you’re thinking of since it’s just pink.
I am looking for a preschool picture book about a little boy telling his mother how much he loves her. Written in 1956 or 1957. Contains lines, “I love as much as a whole chocolate cake,” and, “I was slow, like a turtle half awake or a pudding slow to bake.” Illustrated by well know artist. I think the author’s name began with W.
Try this: The Thinking Book, by Sandol Stoddard.
I am looking for a book that was in my school library late 70s. I was sure the title was My name is Alec. It was a fiction childrens book. All I remember is a woman who answered the door one day and there was a package. The package was a can. When she opened it a little alien boy popped out. She had to teach him about living on earth. The cover had a little alien peeking out of a tin can of sorts.
I am looking for a baby bear book where a baby bear talks about growing up and what they will be and then on each page says and then I will come back and live with you
on every page? Help please?
“When You Grow Up” by Lennie Goodings
https://www.amazon.com/When-You-Grow-Lennie-Goodings/dp/0803726775
When Zachary’s mother prods him to think about what he might be when he
grows up a cowboy, farmer, pilot the fellow always ends his musings
with the refrain, “and then I’ll come back and live with you.”
Hello, I am looking to remember one of my favourite books as a child. It was a larger book, flat but tall and full of little poems. The poems and illustrations were a little on the creepy side. The one poem I remember was something like “watch out for the tow truck driver who will take your toes away” it had a picture of a little toe truck taking away a boys toes. Thanks
I’m trying to identify an old book we had when I was a child.
It was mostly yellow, with a small amount of black and white checkered pattern on the cover. The cover was also quite busy with many of the characters from stories on it. I think it may have had B.I.G. in the tittle but I could be mistaken.
It was a compilation of stories, maybe fairy tales, fables or nursery rhymes.
The book was a decent size, 150+ pages and it had a hardcover.
The copy we had would have been printed before 1985.
Thank you for any help you can provide.
Hi, I’m looking for a children’s book about a bear/
It’s a book I had new as a child, sometime between 1996-2006. I think the book was called Oscar’s Bear (but I might be wrong about the child’s name). It has a similar story to ‘The Best Kind Of Bear’, but it starts with the bear being in his owner’s (Oscar) bed and sneaking out at night to find out what type of bear he was, going to the library and the zoo along with other places. I think the cover had a light brown teddy bear on the front with a pink background.
“It’s a Bear’s Life” by Anna Wilson
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/8015416
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYKzoxfx7G0
I’m looking for a children’s picture book from the late 1970’s or early 1980’s written in a realistic style about a family that had been living in space and is returning to earth. The boy experiences gravity (maybe rolls down a hill). It captured my imagination, and I think my daughter would enjoy it.
Isaac Asimov, The Best New Thing.
That’s it- thanks so much!
You’re welcome, and thanks for posting back!
I’m looking for a YA novel I read in the late nineties or early 2000s about a teenage girl who becomes the guardian of some sort of power in (I think) a cave. I remember there was something about water that healed people but someone had to do a complicated dance of some sort and maybe push a boulder out of the way to keep the water flowing. I want to say the previous guardian died an untimely death, so the boulder hadn’t been moved in a really long time. The girl learned the dance/directions without realizing it by following the path of a mysterious labyrinth or maze aboveground.
Hi I’m looking for a book about a girl who takes care of a bear living in a closet. The story tells about a girl who dream every night about a bear being sick and living in a closet. She wakes up go to her mom and tells her to make something so the bear is feeling well. But in the end of the book it turns out that the bear was just and ordinary teddy bear.
Hi I am looking for a book about a girl taking care of a sick bear living in a closet. The girl dream about the bear being sick and the girl wake up and tells her mom to make something to care for the bear. But in the end of the book it turns out that the bear was just a teddy bear. Does anyone remember what was the book called please?
Hello, I’m hoping someone could please help me remember a book I read in the 1980’s – it was a young adult romance fiction book, set in England and the main character’s name was Lynn. She had a crush on some high school popular guy i think but meets Nick who really fancies her and he’s like this eccentric long distance runner (I remember he wore plimsolls and Lynn is kind of embarrassed all the time by him, Nick is a bit of a messy dresser). They eventually go out on a date and she finds out that she does really like Nick who is a bit of an underdog….I can’t remember title or author – it might have been “…..of a long distance runner” but maybe not….anyway if anyone else remembers this book I’d love to hear 🙂 thanks! cheers 🙂
Hello, I am looking for a book/story that I read as a kid in the 1960s about a boy who starts off buying candy in a candy store then eventually, cleverly convinces the store owner to give him the whole store. I have no idea if it was in a separate book, or part of a a compilation. Would love to be able to track it down. Thanks!
I am looking for a children’s story that was probably in print between late 1950′ through the 60’s. It was about a boy who somehow got to buy a whole candy store by cleverly making some deals with the owner. I think it started off with him getting a gift for his birthday, and going to the store to buy candy. I can’t remember how he eventually convinced the owner. I think it was illustrated, but I don’t know that it was a stand-alone book. It may have been included in a group of stories. Anyway, even describing it gives me a small twinge of that wonderful satisfied feeling I had when i read it as a kid. Would love it if someone could shed a light on what it might be. Thanks!
Hi, I’m looking for an older book, probably picture book about a young girl who needs something but in order to get it she makes various trades where she trades one thing for another until she eventually ends up with the thing she wanted. unfortunately that’s all the info I have. Thank you!
I will look into it – thanks!
Greetings! I have been looking for a book I had in 1974ish that was titled “The xxxx” and it was a made up word as the name of some outcast-monster (with a very square shaped head, or maybe square feet or hands??) type of character who was relegated to the woods. I literally remember nothing else about the book other than it was very illustrated, paperback, maybe 8×8 inches and the cover was of this creature thing hiding behind a tree in the woods. I want to say the name was something along the lines of The Mxxx with x’s representing letters I don’t know. It seemed like it probably was made in the early 70’s as it didn’t appear old fashioned even in 1974. thanks if you can help
It might be worth taking a look at Creole by Stephen Cosgrove (1975) – part of the Serendipity book series.
“Creole is a unique creature who lives in the swamp. She lives alone because the other creatures that live there are frightened by her looks. But, looks can be deceiving and so can judging a book by its cover!”
“Creole, the Big Scary Swamp Critter, is shunned by all of the other marsh denizens. Only a fellow misfit–a stuttering alligator who’s often on the business end of taunts–will even give her the time of day. How can they win the acceptance of their neighbors?”
I’m looking for a children’s fairy tale book made in the 90s that has a red cover with gold trim pages. It was a book full of stories with various artworks from the 90s, It had the 12 dancing princesses, pinocchio, the turtle and the hare, thumbelina, princess and the pea, st george and the dragon, and more. Literally just a compilation of stories and each story had different artwork made by different people, it looks just like a kid’s book
Hi. I’m looking for a book I read as a child in UK between 1996 ish and 2000. I cant remember the plot, author or title so this may be a lost cause but I can see the cover. It had a pink/purple/creamy colour pallete. There was a man sillhoetted on the front, arguably could pass for a genie or sultan etc. Then there was a big pink/purple swirl/wave. Im not sure if he is the main character or the antagonist, or if he was a genie but it definitely had magic in it. The writing was gold, metallic and italic. I loved this book. And the fact I cant remember it has made me want to find it again. Hopefully someone out there can help!
I’m looking for a book i read as a child 1990s-2000. It was probably published between this time. I unfortunately can’t remember the plot title or author but can remember the cover. It had a pink/purple/light palette. The silhouette of a man (genie/sultan looking perhaps) but not a black silhouette, pink or purple, with a big pinkish swirl like a wave. It also had gold italic writing. I think it was a genie type story, definitely magical. I cant remember if the man on the cover is the main character or the antagonist. Its really bugging me, it was my favourite book but the fact I cant remember what it was about but I know I loved it has made me pretty obsessed with trying to fine it again. Please help!!!!
This sounds dreadfully familiar, can you remember any of the plot at all?
Hi! I’m looking for a book I read when I was in Juniors of primary school (2009-13). It was about a detective (a girl, I think) who could shapeshift and I remember her shapeshifting into a ladybird and listening to a conversation on the back of a sofa.
It had quite a crowded cover with a magnifying glass in the middle, I believe it was red and a paperback.
If anyone could help I’d be super grateful!! :))
*illusive
Hi
my daughter had a book which she loved. Title is Jon Panda. I remember reading it to her around 25 years ago. It is about a young girl that loses her cuddly toy named Jon Panda at the carnival. Please help if you can? I would be very grateful. Thank you
It’s sold out in paper form everywhere but this seems to be an ebook version: https://www.amazon.com/Jonpanda-Read-Aloud-Gwen-Grant-ebook/dp/B00EMZBEIQ
Maybe your library could have it too. The title is Jonpanda, all one word, and the author Gwen Grant.
It’s not sold out everywhere. There are a number of used copies available, ranging in price from around $20 to nearly $200. A used book search engine such as Bookfinder can find copies.
That sounds like Jonpanda (all one word) by Gwen Grant.
From several online reviews:
“Mamie wins a bear at the hoop-la stand at the fair. When she gets home, she is amazed to find out that the bear can talk. Soon a very special relationship develops.”
“Mamie wins a panda bear on the hoop-la stall. “You can stay with me for ever, Jonpanda,” she says. But the little panda has an ear-ring of real gold and Mamie’s mother thinks he is the wrong prize. Will she lose her new friend after all?”
“When Mamie wins Jonpanda on the hoop-la stall, little does she realise that he is a talking toy panda. But Jonpanda catches a cold and Nurse Mamie is called to the rescue.”
http://www.gwengrant.co.uk/assets/images/jonpanda.jpg
http://www.gwengrant.co.uk/assets/images/jon_back.jpg
Hi. Does anyone remember a children’s story from the 70’s about a girl invited to a Birthday party. Her siblings were pleased for her but envious (I think they were poor). When their sister returned from the party she opened her umbrella and laid out a spread of cakes that she’d sneaked for her brothers and sisters. It is a story that stays in my heart. Someone said it might be Annabella and the Umbrella or similar but I haven’t located it
Close: it’s Ameliaranne and the Green Umbrella.
Thank you 😊
That is Ameliaranne and the Green Umbrella by Constance Howard.
“A young girl tries to hide food in her green umbrella at a Christmas party for the rest of her hungry family. She is discovered, and an old squire sends home a basket of food for the whole family.”
Fabulous, thank you for responding.
I am looking for a children’s book that I vaguely remember reading in late 1970s/early 1980s. It had text with clues on one page and black-and-white illustrations on the next, where the reader could then search the illustration for the hidden items or hidden character, who may have been trying to solve a mystery by the end of the book.
That sounds like The Adventures of the Black Hand Gang by Hans Jurgen Press (1977).
Press devised a clear format whereby the reader can take part in the detective work by discovering the clues hidden throughout the pages. Each double-page spread contains text on the left-hand side with a question underneath and intricate black and white illustrations on the right-hand side with a clue concealed in the picture, while the correct answer is given on the following page. A score of the clues can be added up at the end of the book giving the reader an idea of how good a detective they are.
The Adventures of the Black Hand Gang contains four independent stories: ‘The Mysterious House’, ‘The Treasure of Breezy Lake’, ‘The Smuggler’s Tunnel’ and ‘A Theft at the Zoo. The Black Hand Gang are a group of four children who form a detective organisation which has its headquarters at 49 Canal Street at the top of the house, calls their classroom the ‘Airport’ and meets regularly after school; their mission to solve crimes and track down the perpetrators.
The four children – Trumpet player Frank who is the leader of the organisation; quick-witted Angela; Ralph, who usually wears a stripped sweater and Keith W.S. (which stands for ‘with squirrel’) are accompanied by Keith’s pet squirrel who proves useful in assisting the group to solve some of the mysteries, particularly when there is a need to go to places which the children can’t normally reach.
The exciting adventures include the gang’s capture of a burglar, the unmasking of a forger, stumbling across a smuggling ring and a hunt for stolen animals. When things became a little tricky the gang enlist the help of the police, particularly their friend Police Sergeant Shorthouse.
Hi I am in need help finding a children’s scholastic book! The book I am looking for is a paperback picture book with a green cover and a white with brown bunny/rabbit. The book is about this rabbit that goes on an adventure of some sort. I remember him going underwater and also traveling through a forest. I also vividly remember a white horse in a fairytale like grassy garden with a simple little house in the background. I do not know the name of the author or title but I know I had to have gotten the book around 1st, 2nd, or 3rd grade anywhere in the years 2003-2007. If someone could please help, I would be forever grateful:( thank you!!
Hi I really need help looking for a children’s scholastic book. I do not know the author/tile of the book but I know I had to have gotten it when I was in about 1st, 2nd, or 3rd grade in the years 2003-2007ish. It was a green square paperback picture book and it was about a brown and white bunny/rabbit going on an adventure of some sort. I remember him going underwater and into a forest and I vividly remember a page where there is a white horse in a fairytale like garden with a simple forest house in the background. My mom accidentally got rid of it a while back and it’s driving me crazy because I can’t remember the title 🙁 please help. Thank you!!!
I am looking for a book from my childhood (late 90s/early 00s) about a monkey (maybe?) and his drum. And he was sent on a quest (?) where he had to collect a Jaguars tooth (had a tooth ache too?) And some milk from a cow? Goat? But he had to collect them with his drum? He played the drum to make the cow dance and he collected its milk. Then he played the drum for the puma? Jaguar? And he danced tul his tooth popped out? I cannot remember the title for the death of me.
That’s it, perfect!
Many thanks
You’re welcome! Glad I could help.
Hello, I’m looking for an old story that might have been part of a collection of character-building stories for children. It might also have been in a reading book for Christian schools. I don’t remember where I read it. I tried to Google it several times, and I called some publishers of that type of book, but I still didn’t find it.
The narrator was telling the story of a childhood schoolmate in their rural area. He referred to the schoolmate as “the greatest man I ever knew” or perhaps “the best man.” I’ll refer to him as “Charlie” for simplicity, but I don’t remember anybody’s name in the original story.
Charlie was not a great scholar. His father was dead, and his mother picked on him for being stupid, but he was a gentle fellow and took things in stride. They farmed and had some animals, I think sheep and possibly goats. After Charlie graduated, he tended the farm. One day he heard screaming down by the creek. He rushed there and rescued an unwed pregnant girl from drowning. Charlie promptly married her, because in those days she wouldn’t have many other options.
Now both Charlie’s new wife and his mother picked on him for being stupid, but he kept on keeping on. The young lady gave birth to a baby girl, then the young lady died after about a year of marriage. Charlie brought the baby girl up as his own daughter. When she was a teenager, an unscrupulous young man invited her for an evening out, but he took her to a hotel room with bad intentions. She was terrified. Just as things were about to get bad, Charlie busted through the door and rescued her.
A couple of years later, the stepdaughter met a good man. They got married. Charlie’s animal stock was now substantial, but he sold most of it to give the young couple a good start in life. Due to that, Charlie had to start all over again himself.
Does this ring a bell for anyone?
I’m looking for a children’s book about multi coloured animals (I think they were bears, there is a green one that wears glasses) and they are making a birthday cake (white with coloured spots), probably from the early 2000s. The books are mainly white on the cover and have yellow around the outsides.
The Midnight Feast?
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35451815-the-midnight-feast
I think I posted this before, but couldn’t find it now. I’m searching for a picture book that was probably from sometime in the mid 90s or earlier. It was rectangular with white on the border, I believe, & very colorful & detailed illustrations. I seem to remember it was mostly pictures of kids playing & maybe stuffed animals & toys both inside & outside. It’s a real long shot, I know. One key thing I think I remember from the illustrations was a blue? elephant-shaped sliding board. Any ideas? Thanks!
I am trying to find the title/author of a childrens book that I read when on the early 90s about a little girl who invited the moon into her house.
I believe it was a book between the 70s and 80s
If it rings a bell please please let me know. I appreciate it
Thank you
It’s not an exact match, but perhaps Papa, Please Get the Moon For Me by Eric Carle?
“Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me tells the story of Monica, a young girl who dreams of playing with the Moon. She cannot reach it and asks her father to bring it to her. He gets a ladder and, placing it atop a huge mountain, ascends to the Moon only to discover it is too big to carry down. The Moon agrees to shrink, becoming a waning crescent, and Monica plays with it until it shrinks so small that it vanishes. As the nights go by, she watches the Moon gradually reappear in the sky, going from waxing crescent to full Moon.”
Hey, not sure if this is it or not, but maybe it’s “Best Loved Fairy Tales.” I had a copy of this when I was younger, too, handed down. Here’s a link to it on Ebay: https://www.ebay.com/itm/324051417571?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&itemid=324051417571&targetid=1068323853790&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9011443&poi=&campaignid=10459841976&mkgroupid=104612011820&rlsatarget=aud-622524041438:pla-1068323853790&abcId=2146002&merchantid=6296724&gclid=CjwKCAiAsOmABhAwEiwAEBR0ZutDjqJJtk2U3lwc-Xstpae471VSCWtBhzQXrXznxf9QbkiiqBuq-BoCy_IQAvD_BwE
That book is from 1974 so it wouldn’t be old enough. Thanks so much for taking the time to respond though!
I am looking for the title of an older children’s book about a girl who chases a ball (?) into the forest where she is not supposed to go. She encounters a monster who chases her in bursts. When stopped, she sings it to sleep then starts running again; the monster wakes up and chases. When caught he asks her why she ran; “me no run.” Eventually she makes it out of the forest to safety. Some interesting word sounds, if I remember correctly. Thanks!
That’s The Gunniwolf by Wilhelmina Harper – one of my childhood favorites! I made my mom check it out from the library for me over and over! (The girl isn’t chasing a ball – she’s picking flowers. She goes in just a little way, to pick some white flowers, then sees some pink flowers further in – and of course, goes in further to pick some of those as well – then goes further still into the forest when she sees some orange flowers.)
There are multiple versions of The Gunnifwolf. In the version I grew up with – illustrated by William Wiesner – she sings the Gunniwolf to sleep with nonsense syllables: “Kum-kwa, khi-wa, kum-kwa, khi-kwa.” In some of the other editions, she sings the “A-B-C” song instead. Some of the versions also have it spelled “Gunnywolf” instead of “Gunniwolf.”
I knew the requested book sounded familiar, but couldn’t quite place it. I had this one too. Loved it. Thanks for the reminder 🙂
That sounds like Gran Knits (1985) by Michael and Joanne Cole, based on the BBC stop-motion animated series “Gran” (1983) from Woodland Animations. Gran Knits was the second episode of the series. A number of episodes – including Gran Knits – are also available as books, published by Blackie & Son.
At first glance you may think Gran is like any other Grandma, but she’s not. Along with her grandson Jim, she takes part in different crazy adventures. Each episode sees Gran performing weird and wacky tasks – growing her runner beans up a dinosaurs skeleton, hang gliding, knitting a giant scarf to wrap around her house in the winter, and cross country motorbike racing. But one thing’s for sure – she’ll always be wearing her pink slippers.
The episode Gran Knits: “Gran may not be very good at knitting, but when she gets going there’s no stopping her, and the whole house is soon protected from the winter cold.”
I can’t find a picture online of the cover of Gran Knits, but here are the front and back covers of Gran’s Goats (listing other books in the series, including Gran Knits) and an interior page, so you can see the style of the illustrations:
Hi, I’m trying to find the title/author of a children’s book that I read in the 1980s in the UK about a child wrapping their grandmother’s bungalow with a giant scarf to keep her warm during the winter (or might have been a snowstorm). If this rings a bell I’d appreciate your help! Thanks
You’re welcome. Glad to be of help. 🙂
I am looking for an old children’s book where you could tuck paper animals into bed. Each page had a different sized bed and you could place the animal in a slot. The first page had a place for the paper cutout animals to stay – I think they were all shaped as beds. The animals included a tiger, bear, raccoon, squirrel and twin bunnies I think. The plot may have been that they were all at a slumber party, and then you got to place each animal into their bed on their page when it was bedtime. I can picture the book, but I cannot find it anywhere/remember the name of it.
I am looking for an old children’s book where you could tuck paper animals into bed. Each page had a different sized bed where you could place an animal in a slot. The first page had a place for the paper cutout animals to stay – I think they were all shaped as beds. The animals included a tiger, bear, raccoon, squirrel and twin bunnies I think. The plot may have been that they were all at a slumber party, and then you got to place each animal into their bed on their page when it was bedtime. I can picture the book, but I cannot find it anywhere/remember the name of it.
I’m looking for a book my mom had as a little girl so early 1950s. Hers didn’t have a cover so she doesn’t know the title but she remembers it as a “big red book” It was a very thick book with lots of pages. The first part of the book contained Mother Goose’s nursery rhymes and the rest of the book consisted of fairy tales like ‘The Three Little Pigs’, ‘Chicken Little’, ‘Little Red Riding Hood’, etc. It was very nicely illustrated, too. The end of the book had longer stories like “beauty and the beast” any idea how I can find this book?
When you say “fairy tales *like* The Three Little Pigs, etc.” and “stories *like* beauty and the beast” does this mean that it for sure had those exact stories? Or that it had tales of that sort, but might not have had those exact titles?
There are a number of anthologies that are similar, and having nursery rhymes at the front does help to narrow it down. My first thought was The Illustrated Treasury of Children’s Literature by Margaret Martignoni (1955) – but while the general format of the book (nursery rhymes up front, short fairy tales and poems in the middle, and longer stories at the back) is the same, the exact contents are not. My copy does not contain Beauty and the Beast or Chicken Little – though it does contain The Three Little Pigs and Red Riding Hood. I do have a later reprint of the book, so it’s possible the earlier printings had different contents. This is often the case with anthologies of children’s poetry or literature.
There are multiple printings of the book – and some of the older ones did have red covers.
Yes I did find this book recently and thought it might be the one! But not having beauty and the beast is the downfall. My mom specifically mentioned that one being in there. So now I’m not sure if it is possible to find this illusions book. The one you mentioned may (hopefully) have to be close enough 🤷🏼♀️ Thank you for the time you took to look and research for me!
Another possibility might be Book 1 of The Family Treasury of Children’s Stories, edited by Pauline Rush Evans, illustrated by Donald Sibley. I can’t find an exact listing of the contents, so I can’t confirm whether it contains Beauty and the Beast or not – but the contents are described as “Mother Goose and Nursery Rhymes, Bedtime Verses, Baby Play, Counting Rhymes, Knee Bouncing Rhymes, Songs with Music, Riddles, Stories and Poetry, Fairy Tales Old and New, Fun and Fantasy.”
I was given this book by an aunt before 1965. It’s about a girl who is looking for I forget what and makes friends with some Christians. It’s a contemporary story, not period. What struck me was it was Christmas time and I was shocked to think of a child not being in her own home on Christmas Eve. The new friend taught her the text Romans 8:28 ‘We know that all things work together for good to them that love God’ and every time I’ve used that text I’ve remembered this story and I would love to read it again. I don’t know the author but the title was ‘All for Good’ and it was a hardback with a dust jacket. We owned very few books ourselves as children (most of our reading came from the library) which is probably why I am such a great buyer of books now, because I can!
Does this look familiar? If so it’s by Mary Batchelor and your title is correct.
https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=30795416840&searchurl=bi%3D0%26ds%3D30%26bx%3Doff%26sortby%3D17%26tn%3D%2522all%2Bfor%2Bgood%2522%26recentlyadded%3Dall&cm_sp=snippet-_-srp1-_-image4#&gid=1&pid=1
Thank you for taking the time to respond! I hope it is the correct book, and you are able to find a copy!
Looking for a book I owned in late 1960s. It contained fairy tales from around the world. I can remember one where there was a man in a silver suit who lived in the moon and at the end he was joined by a human wife. And another had a thirsty emperor who was offered a melon by a poor orientalists looking man. Would love to know the title of the book!
I’m looking for a children’s book, a short fantasy novel that I would have read before 1990. The main character travels to another world in a bubble, the bubble even goes below water at one point. He ends up trapped and in order to escape must beat the queen in a game of chess played in grandstands while directing the pieces.
I’m looking for a children’s book about baking. In the book, there was a big bowl that had a slit at the top for you to actually put the paper eggs into (The eggs were different shades of brown and they were card stock I believe, they actually came out of the book so you could put them into the bowl.). On each page, you added another egg, and by the end of the book the cake had taken over the kitchen and was coming down the garden path! I believe the characters were animals of some sort, possibly getting ready for a birthday party.
I’m looking for a book about baking a cake. The book actually had a “bowl” that was in the page, with a cutout slit in the top. On each page you added another egg (which were different shades of brown, and actually came out of the book–made out of cardstock) and another, and by the end the cake had taken over the house and was coming out the door down the path! The characters–who were definitely animals of some kind, were I think getting ready for a birthday party.
A pesky little sister wants to help build a sand castle with her brother but he won’t let her join in so she ruins it by leaving a sandwhich on the sand castle and their dog ruins it. I think it was a competition.
I’m looking for a book I read in class when I was in kindergarten (97-98). It was the first book I ever read on my own successfully, outloud. I have children of my own now and would like to pass it onto them….. the book was about all the nursery rhymes/ fairy tales getting together for a birthday party, I want to say it was for mother goose or the little old lady that lived in a shoe…..I’ve been searching for years. If anyone can help me find it, it would be greatly appreciated.
Possibly The Talking Mother Goose Birthday Surprise, from Books of Wonder? This book came with a cassette tape that played in a “talking” Mother Goose toy, and a book to follow along with – though if you don’t remember the tape, it’s possible that your classroom just had the book. It was sold as a boxed set, including the book, the tape (inserted under the talking goose’s wing), and a festive bonnet and collar for Mother Goose to dress up in for the party.
From the back cover:
You’re invited to a surprise party! The Talking Mother Goose is having a birthday. No one knows exactly how old she’ll be, but everyone knows there’s going to be a party. Everyone but The Talking Mother Goose, that is!
You see, Hector from The Ugly Duckling and all of the friends from the Fairy Tale Township are giving her a surprise party.
The Tortoise and the Hare will be there. Little Red Riding Hood will be there. Papa Bear and Baby Bear will be there. And so will you.
THANK YOU it sounds familiar and the illustrations look familiar but I’d need to flip through it. I will find a cheap copy and see….youd think it would be easy to find a book like what I’m trying to find. We read it as a class. We would all have a book in hand but I haven’t found it in over 20 years
I think about this book from time to time and just want to see the pictures again for memories sake. It was a pop up book with a robot, I think he was orange or something. He might of had a robot dog too but I don’t remember, last time I had the book was some dramatic life changing event, so most of everything before and during are fuzzy. I can only remember one page, the robot was standing in the foreground to the bottom left, and stage left was a big robot city of sorts popped up on the horizon. I was born in 2002 and probably had it in 2006, I was old enough to talk a decent sentence at least, if that narrows down when it could be from. I was small but I remember the book being pretty big, the size of my toddler torso, definitely a book that sat in my lap. I’ve lived in Southern California all my life if that also narrows it down a lil more.
This one seems to have a robot dog, but it looks like it’s made for someone older than a toddler.
The Amazing Inventions of Professor Screwloose: With Real Science Experiments
https://www.stellabooks.com/books/iain-smyth/the-amazing-inventions-of-professor-screwloose/1806490
Or how about this one?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4iUt42r8Uo
Also found this one, which seems to be a series.
http://phillipfickling.com/portfolio/post/novas-super-galactic-pop-up-book/
I’m pretty sure this was it, thank you very much!!!
Don’t think I’ve read it, but following this post because that book sounds hysterical 🙂
it was! im still looking for it. it was a book utter nonsense and i want for my nephew. the book is bonkers… he is bonkers.. its a match made in heaven!
I found it ladies and gents! Its The Secret Knowledge of Grownups by David Wisniewski
Hello! I dont remember if i posted it here or not. But i found them! Its The Secret Knowledge of Grownups.
Thanks! I’ll check it out.
Hi there, bit of a long shot but I’ve been looking for ages and can’t seem to find a childrens book I had in the 90s. It was a picture book, about a child who took a journey on a small boat called the ‘lucy ann’ . The boat took her to an enchanted forest where she witnessed fairy’s dancing and eating mini cakes. The next day the girl woke up thinking it was all a dream, until she found a mini cake left on the boat. My sister was named after the boat ‘lucy ann’ so I thought it would be a nice gift for her birthday later this year.
I am looking for a book that I “read”. It didn’t have words to it, but it had beautifully illustrated pictures that told their own story. And it had a sad ending, I think it was about a war. I am unsure, but I think it was called Blanche? I read it in the 90s
This must be Rose Blanche written and illustrated by Roberto Innocenti, Mankato: Creative Education, 1985, 1st US; 8.5×11, np. Did you read it as a child? He said: “In this book I wanted to illustrate how a child experiences war without really understanding it.”
that’s it! What great news! Now I just have to find a copy! thanks you so much!
You’re welcome! Thank you for taking the time to write back. It looks like there are copies available for sale online, with a wide range of prices ($11-$150) depending on condition and whether it’s a first edition).
Hi, I believe my comment got deleted somehow. I’m looking for a set of children’s books I had as a kid. The books were very large, maybe 12 inches wide by 24 inches tall. They were paperback. The covers were very bright. I remember having a green set and a purple set. They came in sets of 3. If I remember correctly they were fables and classic tales as I remember one of the books was a version of aladdin. They had great illustrations inside as well. I believe they were published in the late 80s or early 90s as I believe we got them from our local book store around 1995.
My apologies. I missed your post somehow. Suzanne
Thats alright. Thank you
Possibly this set by Troll Associates (I believe it was called the Troll Associates Nursery Rhyme Set, or something like that):
No those are not it unfortunately. They were much larger books than these. 12×24 might be a tad conservative.
Ok… it might be worth looking at the Giant Fairy Story book series by Ottenheimer Publishers. They were originally printed in 1967, but reprinted in 1983. I can’t find the exact measurements – but since they say “A Giant Fairy Story” on the front cover, I’m assuming they must be pretty big. I’m not sure if Aladdin was included in this set or not.
Hello! I am looking for a pretty strange children’s book i read between 2000-2004 or 5. I dont remember the author or the title. All I remember was that it was a tall hardcover book and it was illustrated. It was literally a book of nonsense. I remember that one of the pages had an illustration of broccoli eating people and the little blurb was something along the lines of “Broccoli used to be as tall as trees and would eat people until people figured out that if they ate the broccoli then it stays small. So its important to eat your broccoli.” Another page was about how cows you see on farms are not real. They are actually robots and the only real cows live in Texas(?) next to a U.F.O plant are 10 stories tall. Another page was about how your hair grows, stating that its because little sumo wrestlers live in your head and push your hair out. Yet another page was about how if you picked your nose, you could knock your brain off track and would have to shine a flashlight up your nose and hum to the little workers in your head can put your brain back on track. Any help finding this book would be appreciated! I have googles but it has failed me and my local librarian thinks I am bonkers! Thanks agaon
Now that may be a possibility. Drives me crazy I cant remember more of the story line. I will try this one out and see. Thanks so much. I tried Laura Inglass this weekend and now.