Looking for a Childhood Book? Here’s How.
Looking for our antiquarian children’s bookstore?
Go to https://www.oldchildrensbooks.com
Looking for our antiquarian children’s bookstore?
Go to https://www.oldchildrensbooks.com
You are looking at a new website, same address, with all the features and more, right on this site! Thousands of queries and solutions from the last five years are all here.
The search below is an exciting addition: Search the Content: try Dragon, or Sister, or Christmas. Or click on the green bars, select Author and call up our experts like Mama Squirrel… or search your own contributions. You can also hide Replies for a quick visual search, follow Users, Edit using the Settings gear… and more!.
You can be notified of responses by signing in using your old Disqus password or you can establish a new one. “Subscribe” (upper left).
Many thanks to Kelvin Kathia of Journeybytes.com for figuring all this out very quickly.
Note: Children’s book queries only: all comments are moderated and thus take a few hours to appear here; ads, links to sales venues, and direct contact info will be deleted.
It will take Google a few weeks to connect with this new site since Disqus hasn’t functioned well since December. We welcome your comments now, but feel free to repost later in March. Suzanne
There is a book I remember my mom reading to
us in the 80’s about a boy who had a mole or wart on his face. I think he went out at night and found some trolls that possibly got rid of the mole. The boy’s name may have been David.
I’m looking for a book from the late 90s or early 2000s. It had a purple cover with an illustrated cow dressed in human clothing. The book was about all kinds of Women cows coming together. I specifically remember one of the cows were dressed as Carmen Miranda. It was a short, large text style book with really cartoonish illustrations. Similar to
Barbie.
Hi, looking for a book from when I was a child in the 70’s. There was a little boy with a cowboy hat on riding his cow (daisy?) into town/school. I would love to find it, but that’s all I remember – to this day I want a cow to ride instead of a horse.
Thank you.
Hi, I’m not entirely sure but is it possibly from the “sweet pickles” series? My grandfather used to buy them for me at flea markets and this seems like it might fit. I apologize if it isn’t right.
Miss Flora McFlimsey’s Christmas Eve.
I’m looking for an old children’s book. It’s got to be over 28 years old as I know it’s some what older than me but I don’t know by how much. It was about a doll and some other old toys in an attic (I think). The little doll wants to be loved by a girl on Christmas? I think Santa gives her a new dress so she can be found on Christmas morning under the tree. It was a really pretty painterly illustrated book. Hardback. There might have been a follow up book but I don’t remember seeing more than that on the shelves of my elementary school. I read this book every time they took us down there and I’ve never seen it since. I’d really appreciate it if anyone knows what I’m talking about? Thank you!
Looking for a book about an old couple that decide they don’t like their home so they begin to fix it up to sell but in the end decide they like their house now. 80s maybe 90s.
A Cottage for Betsy, by Ruth Sawyer. From the Kirkus review: “…the evident prototypes of Queen Elizabeth and her consort Philip are presented through Elizabeth, a queen at 19, and Michael, a bit older, who is put out because there is nothing for him to do. Red tape and ruling threaten their love, so they invent a case of “measles” for Betsy, and go to their cottage by the sca. Michael gets a job in a garage; Betsy makes friends of the neighbor’s children; they thrive enormously and dread a return to their duties. But on their return, Michael has been made king, an heir is born to Betsy, and all seems rosy again.”
im looking for a book it was a picture book about these two mice who lived in a garden and then they get on a spaceship but they crash on this planet that has nothing but rocks and theres a dragon on the planet and hes sad because he ate everything on the planet and now all he has to eat are rocks so the mice plant him a garden
Hi, I’m trying to help my sister find a book this is all the information she can remember. “I’ve been trying to track down a picture book that I read in 2000-2001 when I was in primary school in Australia. I cannot for the life of me remember the name of the book. The only thing I can remember is it was a hard cover picture book, there was something about a young person (leaning more towards a young/ pre teen boy) going to a city in the clouds or something? Also something to do with a key? And I remember something about an old man possibly a wizard type man? It wouldn’t be more than 50 pages long probably less. The style of art is very similar to the works of Shaun Tan. It’s realistic style art with a little twist of cartoon style. It’s colourful but on the side of a darker colour palette. I’ve searched and searched google, libraries and op shops. As my memory is very clouded I just don’t have enough information to go on. Hoping someone on here can help me as I realise the details are scarce. Thanks!”
Hello!
I am looking for a children’s book from the 90s. I clearly remember a “monster” being huge and blue. It was driving a little kid crazy with its antics. I even remember the kid finding that the monster had overflowed the family pool, and would grin at the kid after being annoying. At the end, the creature or monster became a stuffed toy in the kid’s bedroom.
I’m looking for a book about a chest on top of a hill/mountain full of seeds/beans that when released should make the townspeople happy—
Hello,
I’m looking for a picture book probably from 90’s. It was an alphabet book, and had very unique artwork. I’ve been searching google but haven’t been able to find it and I don’t have much to go on but I remember that there were circular characters in it, and I think you had to search for the letters. This is the photo I saw that sparked my memory and made me think of the circular characters hopefully it helps lol
The House That Had Enough, by P.E. King.
looking for an old children’s book, young/picture book age (I read it back in the late 80s/early 90s but it may be older) – a little boy cant sleep at night, there are animals/bears in his backyard; he builds a pit and lays sticks across the top of it to trap them… cant quite remember what happens, I think he catches a bunch of animals? and lets them go or befriends them?
Maybe? I’ll look it up
Jennie, by Paul Gallico.
I think that’s it! I’m pretty sure I read it as “The Abandoned”. Thanks so much!
You’re welcome!
Hello, I’m looking for a children’s book from the 80’s. A girl didn’t take care of her house so it picked up and left her. It was illustrated and was teaching the importance of taking care of your things.
I haven’t found anything on a specific book, but I did find what might be a blogpost with the story itself; the author says she heard it from someone who found it in an old reader.
https://voicesintheglen.org/2009/03/the-hopping-pumpkin-or-ho-hum-that-was-fun/
Try this: The Hallowe’en Pumpkin, by Pamela Oldfield.
I am looking for book that I read as child and I unfortunately have little to no information to go on. All I can remember is that the protagonist is some sort of non human creature that goes on a journey and meets the incarnations of the four seasons. I believe that old man winter was the antagonist but I don’t really remember. The goal was to get old man winter to give way to the next season? Maybe? Any help would be extremely appreciated.
I’m 71 and looking for a chapter book I read in middle school in the 1960s. It was about a female cat and the title was the cat’s name, maybe starting with C. It was some sort of travel adventure I think. At one point it says “When in doubt, wash”. I think the cat’s name was one or two syllables.
Hi – I’m looking to find the author or ISBN number for a book I had as a child – I think the title was The Hopping Pumpkin – it may have had a subtitle Ho-hum what fun.
I made my father read the book again and again and I would love to find a copy of the book.
If anyone knows the book, author, publisher or ISBN number, I would be so grateful.
Thanks
The book I’m looking for was read to me in the late 1970’s, early 80’s. It was a children’s picture book about and elephant going to a birthday party.
The illustrations were primarily in pink, burgundy, black and white. Their was another character but I can’t remember much about him. It wasn’t Barbar or Horton. I clearly remember the illustrations of cake.
I lived in the Southern U.S. at the time.
Looking for a children’s picture book. I’m not sure when it was written, but it was read to be in the 1990’s (although I suspect it is older). I remember the picture better than the plot, but there is a character that goes to a castle, eats some soup, but then wakes up the next morning having changed appearance or gotten old or something like that.
There is a picture book from my childhood (mid 90s) that I’m trying to find the name of. All I can remember is it has a creature in a raincoat, that is holding a lantern in the rain. They might be standing on a dock, or a pier by the ocean….
Keen to find a picture book that was read to us in early 1970s – a garbage barge sailed at night and picked up broken toys that came to life, such as a dancing doll, a horse etc… possibly involved a boy named Peter… or not….
Trying to remember the title of a large hardback illustrated children’s book about a pirate, I believe his name started with a “P”, and originally from Italy/written in Italian (but the copy we found was in English). Great playful illustrations.
Hello, a good friend of mine gifted me 3 paperbacks when we were
kids, this would have been early 70s. They were all from the same
publisher, they were smaller than is common for paperbacks,
were
mostly white, with an illustration on the cover, along with
illustrations throughout the books. One of the books was about a
fictional James Bond like character, who went behind a fictional iron
curtain, and that’s pretty much all I can remember, I know, it’s
frustrating. I also want to say one of the pictures in the book showed
the secret agent climbing over a wall. I think he might have been there
to rescue someone, maybe a scientist? Another one of the books I think
might have been about WWII in North Africa, but not sure. I wish I could
remember more, but this is all I can recall. My friend
seems to
think they may have been part of a promotion, and came with Nestles
Chocolate Quik. I’ve just about found all the books I had as a kid, but I
cannot for the life of me find any of these books, thank you everyone.
Hi everyone. I am looking for a children’s book from the 1950s, I believe. It was a book of short stories, possibly 2nd to fifth grade level, and had a red or orange hardback cover with no pictures on it, just the title. There were color drawings inside with each story. I remember a couple of stories: One was about some cars that sleep in a mechanic’s garage all day until night when everyone leaves. Then they come alive and talk to each other. Another was about 2 or more boys who go into the woods and find a hornet’s nest (or wasp’s, etc.). They poke at it with a stick and get stung all over. I remember their mom made a paste of baking soda and something to cover the stings. Anyway, it’s something like that. Please help if you can.
Hello! I’m looking for a fall book I used to read as a kid. It was about these two sister cats I think and it was during the fall season and the little sister goes out and looks at the leaves while the big sister makes a pie inside the house. This is all I can remember and I can’t seem to find this book anywhere! It was definitely a picture book at my old elementary school.
Cats’ Eyes, by Anthony Taber.
when i was a child in late 70s and early 80s, we had a book that was about the life of a cat named tiger, that dies at the end.
the drawings were black and white and very detailed and distinctive.
I keep thinking of Marilyn Sachs’ three Amy and Laura books. Laura does read fairy tales, not so sure about the weight thing.
Yes, that’s it Mama Squirrel! I instantly recognized Amy and Laura, although I don’t recall knowing the author’s name. Thanks so much!!!
Oh, that’s great! Thanks for posting back.
I followed up on Mama Squirrel’s suggestion. An Amazon reviewer discussing the book ‘Amy and Laura’ by Marilyn Sachs described Laura as ‘heavy set’.
Hi folks, I’m looking for a book from my childhood which was likely to have been published in the early 1980s. I had it in 1986. It was a children’s picture book, hardcover and slim, with small pictures amongst the text to enable children to read without having to know all the words- I.e instead of the word ‘duck’ it had a small picture of a duck repeated throughout the text. I feel that was quite unusual for its time and I hope someone might remember it! I don’t remember much about the story other than it was about a duck who went on an adventure- I think he went to school to learn how to read. Any ideas?
Try this: Frank Viva, Outstanding in the Rain.
I’m looking for a beloved children’s book from the 1960s-early 70s. I checked it out repeatedly from our library. I don’t remember much, however. The characters were two sisters, the older one was overweight. She was a reader and was working through the Andrew Lang fairy tale books: The Red Fairy Tale Book, The Blue Fairy Tale Book, etc. That’s about all I remember–funny that I don’t have any memory of the plot!
Rly?!
Maybe Morning Is a Little Child by Joan Walsh Anglund?
Hello! I’m looking for a children’s book I read in the late 80s/early 90s about a kid who finds out the classic Universal-type monsters are real (similar to the movie Monster Squad). One scene that stands out vividly in my memory is the kid touching the Gillman monster and noting how the muscles move under the scales. He’s told that in the movies a fake zipper is always glued on to make the monster look like an actor in a costume. Thanks for any and all help!
Hello all! I am trying to find a children’s book that I had when I was little. It is about a boy who goes to a fair or carnival on his birthday, but it is a rainy day. There is almost no one there because of the rain. I remember one page is a picture of the boy at the top of the Ferris Wheel, the car is full of water and his feet are sitting in the water. Any help finding this title would be GREATLY appreciated. Thanks!
Probably one of the Mandie books by Lois Gladys Leppard – possibly ‘Mandie and the Abandoned Mine’ (1987)?
This sounds like a famous five book by Enid blyton… Possibly Five run away together?
A library patron is looking for a book, she believes from the 1990s. She remembers it being about a little girl who is walking with her mom to the market or grocery store and she brings an umbrella because you never know when it will rain. It gets windy and the umbrella opens up and carries her away and she flies over the town with her umbrella while the mom is trying to grab her. The mom catches her (possibly red) boots but still can’t get her. The town ends up putting all of their blankets and quilts together and she ends up letting go of the umbrella and falling on the big blanket. The ending of the book is the umbrella floats away and then it is seen between the trees waiting for its next adventure.
Thank you for your help!
It’s not, but I’m so glad you sent that one because I love that one also and had totally forgotten about it! Thanks!
I am looking for a book I read as a middle grade kid in the 80’s. It was definitely a Christian fiction adventure/mystery book where several kids are trying to solve a mystery (at least I think that’s what they were doing) and they get stuck in a cave. I feel like the protagonist was a girl but I know there were both boys and girls on the adventure together. I specifically remember the protagonist praying in the cave. I don’t know why this book made such an impact on me so I would love to track it down to re-read and see if it is even close to my limited recollection.
Thanks in advance!
Looking for a vintage nature book with lift the flaps and little gnomes/elves. Spiral bound. 70s or 80s. Any help appreciated.
I’m looking for a book and I can’t totally remmeber what it was about. I also don’t remember if I’m remembering it correctly. But its this childerns book where theres this girl (or woman) who is a seamstress and shes tasked with making this dress. I believe she makes the dress with gold threat and lining and blue birds but I can’t totally remember. Does anyone know what this book is?
This is a long shot because this is a children’s picture book with not much dialogue but i remember almost every page very vividly,
It was a very detailed illustrated book about a rat/mouse detective(possibly had a brother or assistant who helped him solve but wasn’t as smart) they needed your help (the reader) to solve a mystery of the town I’m pretty sure that it was some sort of stealing, and i remember the guilty one was a female crocodile who has some sort of pink scarf thing because one of the clues was a pink thread found during the book
animals ran the town there was no people and some were very stereotypical such as, penguins running an ice cream store and a bull in a china shop, and i remember it wasn’t a finding book per se but you needed to find clues to solve the mystery and one of the rooms I remember was an art gallery sort of thing with a bunch of paintings on it and you had to find the odd one out, and i remember the solution was van gough’s painting ‘the bedroom’ had an electrical cord in the picture clearly showing they wouldn’t have had electricity back then, other pages i remember include a candy shop very detailed lots of jars of candy and shelves full of them, a cake store where you need to find a specific cake eg; three layers fruit, but not strawberries no green ect, a grocery store with fruit and veggies and a florist shop that you needed certain flowers all of these stores run by animals no humans in the book and the end as i mentioned the guilty one was the crocodile and the final page of the book was, the crocodile locked up in a little cell with bars.
If i helps i had this book when i was a child and i grew up in the early 2000s so its possibly 90’s to 2000s and Im Australian so it could also possibly be only in Australia
Any help would be greatly appreciated I cannot find it anywhere online and my family and friends also don’t know
This is a long shot because this is a children’s picture book with not much dialogue but i remember almost every page very vividly,
It was a very detailed illustrated book about a rat/mouse detective(possibly had a brother or assistant who helped him solve but wasn’t as smart) they needed your help (the reader) to solve a mystery of the town I’m pretty sure that it was some sort of stealing, and i remember the guilty one was a female crocodile who has some sort of pink scarf thing because one of the clues was a pink thread found during the book
animals ran the town there was no people and some were very stereotypical such as, penguins running an ice cream store and a bull in a china shop, and i remember it wasn’t a finding book per se but you needed to find clues to solve the mystery and one of the rooms I remember was an art gallery sort of thing with a bunch of paintings on it and you had to find the odd one out, and i remember the solution was van gough’s painting ‘the bedroom’ had an electrical cord in the picture clearly showing they wouldn’t have had electricity back then, other pages i remember include a candy shop very detailed lots of jars of candy and shelves full of them, a cake store where you need to find a specific cake eg; three layers fruit, but not strawberries no green ect, a grocery store with fruit and veggies and a florist shop that you needed certain flowers all of these stores run by animals no humans in the book and the end as i mentioned the guilty one was the crocodile and the final page of the book was, the crocodile locked up in a little cell with bars.
If i helps i had this book when i was a child and i grew up in the early 2000s so its possibly 90’s to 2000s and Im Australian so it could also possibly be only in Australia
Any help would be greatly appreciated I cannot find it anywhere online and my family and friends also don’t know.
I don’t know about the mouse, but my one year old loves this one: https://www.amazon.com/My-Goodnight-Book-Golden-Books/dp/0307122581
The mouse makes me think maybe it’s a Mercer Mayer Little Critter book? Like “Just Go to Bed?”
City of Ember?
Is this the one? I loved this one about the boy Two fingers tall! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2427233.The_Cucumber_Stem
I am looking for a book I remember from my childhood, to share with my kids. There is a trickster monkey in it, and he bakes bricks out of leaves and clay. I can’t remember exactly why he baked them, maybe to build a house? I would love to revisit this book, as it obviously made an impression on me, but can’t remember the title. Help!
I’m looking for a book that I believe was released in the 70s (I checked it out from the elementary school library between 77 and 80). I believe it was an oblong book and it had either a witch or a troll in it that by the end of the story had met its demise, either by falling into water (a moat?) or down a well. I recall the illustrations being ink with sporadic color throughout (particularly green and purple). I wish I had more details to give. I’ve been looking for this book for decades. Thanks for any help you can provide.
Hi There!
I’m looking for a series of books from the late 80s/early 90s, about two old brothers telling stories from their childhood. In the illustrations the childhood versions of them look like their older selves – the younger brother Wayne-y (Wainey?) has a mustache even though he’s a baby. I think the illustrations were watercolor? Anyone remember?
James Stevenson
Trying to find the name of this children’s book I read in the late 90s. I may not be remembering it all correctly. But hopefully I have enough right that someone else remembers too.
From what I remember of this children’s book there are people disputing over a small bag and someone asked them to describe what is in the bag to prove ownership. Fantastical claims are made of what’s in the bag, I believe they say animals are even in the bag, things that couldn’t possibly fit in a bag unless it was magic. In the end, the bag is not filled with any of these items. If I remember correctly, it is filled with fruit peels and seeds? Or something similar. I believe the book is set in the Middle East but again, not sure.
As a child, ages ago, I read a charming, whimsical novel about Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. In the story, she was a princess at the time and they had snuck away to a private cottage in a small seaside village to briefly enjoy a simpler life. I didn’t understand the implications then, but I was still enchanted. Since Prince Philip and now the Queen herself have died, I keep thinking of the book. I’d love to read it again.
Alas, I don’t remember the author or the name. Only that she called herself Bess (or Betsy) and he went by Phil. I suspect the title was something about the name of the town for their getaway, but the subtitle would’ve said more about who they were.
If this sounds familiar to anyone else, I’d love to know the name of the book or even hear more recollections that will help me track it down. Thank you!!
You’re welcome! Thanks for posting back.
I am looking for an excellent “encyclopedia of monsters”-type book I bought at a used bookstore in the mid-1980s. I remember the illustrations and descriptions were excellent, I believe the color palette was limited to a few colors (at least that’s my recollection). All the big monsters were covered: Vampires, Frankenstein’s Monster, etc, but the book also covered the Sphinx, the Kraken, and much more esoteric creatures from fiction and mythology. Would love to locate this one for my own kids!
Hi there,
I’m looking for a specific version of the “Dark Pony” folktale. I found it in several places, but I’m looking for the one with the illustrations pictured on this website: http://darkponydesigns.blogspot.com/2012/05/dark-pony-original-folk-tale.html.
My wife has been trying to find what she remembers to be an edition of this (The New Basic Readers) or some other such collection with Dark Pony featured on the cover, or some book version of Dark Pony with these illustrations that has it on the cover. It took hours to find out that this was the story she was talking about in the first place, but, now that we’ve isolated the story and the illustrations, finding the specific book has become something beyond my capabilities as an internet sleuth.
If anyone has any leads or information, I’d appreciate it. She believes she lost this book in a fire at her parents’ house last February, so finding it would be miraculous. If not, we’ll survive, but I’m sure she’d love to hold, or at least see, a copy again.
I remember a book from childhood where the premise was that dreams were basically your soul living out its life. The kid would go to sleep and the soul would wake up and go about its day in the astral plane of existence, then the soul would rest and the body would wake up. Always stuck with me and is a neat theory, wish I could remember the book. I was born in 1987, so at least published in the 80s/ early 90s
See if this was the right little king. He was a cartoon character as well
https://www.google.com/search?q=soglow+little+king&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi88dykt7r6AhWfLkQIHQJaBNAQ_AUoA3oECAEQBQ&biw=1230&bih=1109&dpr=1.1
Hi There,
I’m trying to find a book about a prince or a king, illustrated very simply (just basic shapes and colors from what I remember?). He finds a princess or a queen. It’s driving me crazy. All I remember is that he wears a very simple yellow crown, and they end up together at the end. I wish more came back to me. c.1990’s that I remember reading it, but had many vintage books, so could have been from any time, really.
Thanks!
Groom your Room?
No problem! Lovely book.
I love that book too!
Hello,
I’m wanting to know if anyone remembers the name of a short children’s book that my mum read to me. It’s about a panda who is always anxious. I remember a certain part where the panda was to afraid to go down the slide and play on the bamboo climbing frame. I remember that his mum or perhaps sibling were always their to help him. The book was perhaps made in the late 90s or the early 2000s. I know my description is very vague although this is all I can remember.
Thank you.
Looking for a book I would check out every week from the bookmobile in elementary school (late 90s up to 2001). If I remember correctly, it was titled Design Your Room. It was a sort of diy book for kids, the cover was silver and sparkly, and I believe it had some pictures of different room designs on it. The inside of the book was just different room design/decorating ideas for different types of kids (girlie and shiny/spacy/futuristic are two I remember specifically). I can’t be sure, but I think there were even a couple of quizzes inside to help find a design you liked.
Thanks!
Maybe ‘Anna’s Special Present’ by Yoriko Tsutsui?
that’s it! thanks so much
Hello, a good friend of mine gifted me 3 paperbacks when we were
kids, this would have been early 70s. They were all from the same
publisher, they were smaller than is common for paperbacks,
were mostly white, with an illustration on the cover, along with illustrations throughout the books. One of the books was about a fictional James Bond like character, who went behind a fictional iron curtain, and that’s pretty much all I can remember, I know, it’s frustrating. I also want to say one of the pictures in the book showed the secret agent climbing over a wall. I think he might have been there to rescue someone, maybe a scientist? Another one of the books I think might have been about WWII in North Africa, but not sure. I wish I could remember more, but this is all I can recall. My friend
seems to think they may have been part of a promotion, and came with Nestles Chocolate Quik. I’ve just about found all the books I had as a kid, but I cannot for the life of me find any of these books, thank you everyone.
It does look hard to find. I saw a good, definitely not very good, paperback on ebay. Probably your best bet it to put a Want on abebooks and act quickly when you see the right one. Suzanne
Hi, I’m looking for a book that I read when I was younger in the 80s, early 90s I remember a hardcover book, the border was black with white polka dots. the rest of the book may have been orange. It had a little girl that had a mushroom head may have been red and white polka dots. She is walking through the woods, it’s stormy and she has an encounter with some type of sea monster. It takes place in the forest. I believe the character’s name is poppy or poppyseed and may be in the title. Thank You
Hi I’m looking for an illustrated children’s book from the 80s/90s about a girl who’s sister is sick and their mom has to take her to the hospital. Thanks!
I’m looking for a wordless book called “The Little Yellow Duck,” by Alice Williamson. It was number 2 in the Gay Colors Books. Published around 1965, I think. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
Seems to be a creation by fabric designer Alexander Henry. “The artistry of the collection recalls the works of renowned illustrator Edward Gorey.”
https://www.hawthornethreadsblog.com/2011/06/meet-the-ghastlies.html
Oh my goodness!! THANK YOU SO, SO MUCH!!!
You’re welcome 🙂
Hi all! I hope someone in here could identify the book im looking for! Its a crafts children book probaby from late 70s to early 80s . The only clues i have are that the front cover there was a real guy dressed as a french onion seller with an onion necklace, striped shirt and beret. Crafts i can marginaly remember is making a nativity crib out of wooden clothes pegs and pope cleaning wire, and how to make a carnival float on a car or something….. thank you all
Really trying to figure out where these characters are from! Anyone know what book?? Much appreciated! 🙂

There are some beautiful and unusual children’s books at the current Getman’s virtual fair (Brooklyn)
https://getmansvirtual.com/category/childrens-books
Hello, looking for a children’s board book from the 80s/90s has a bunch of children doing various activities in it, playing in fields, running through sprinklers, playing hide and seek in a basement with covered furniture. The cover: spine was purple.
Thanks!
Hi, I’m looking for a children’s picture book that was probably released in the 70s or early-mid 80s. The cover
was dark blue, and I think it had a white sailboat on it (if not, there
was definitely a sailboat in the story). The words were really simple,
like the ones in “See Spot Run.” I think the illustrations in the book
were made up of shadow-like shapes (similar to the stick figure on a
crosswalk road sign). Does anyone know which book this might be?
A children’s horror book of short stories with a name similar to Jamie Rix’s ‘Ghostly Tales for Ghastly Kids’ books but predates those books. I definitely read it in the early-mid 80s. Pretty sure I bought it through Scholastic and the book’s title used similar unsettling adjectives to describe both the stories and children who read the book. The stories were each a couple of pages long and were mostly or all accompanied by black and white illustrations. Stories I remember included:
1. A vampire who wants to drink the blood of a child. Vampire is creeping about outside a child’s window and the child has a stake under his pillow and ends up stabbing vampire through the heart.
2. A boy dressed up in a kind of safari suit trying to catch butterflies with a net running about a swamp and getting mud everywhere. May have been an additional picture of just his muddy boots.
3. A naughty little fairy with wings and a wand who sets fire to a Christmas tree which ends up ruining tree/presents. I can remember melted Christmas baubles.
4. A girl/boy who needs to walk through a garden but the path is strewn with all sorts of creepy crawlies like spiders, snakes, bugs, possibly an octopus arm.
Hello, all. I’ve been trying to google-search all kinds of potential titles for a children’s book I have in mind, published in the 1950s or ’60s in English, about the different hours of the day and night. The physical book itself was of a small size, roughly 4 x 5 inches or less, and did not have a hard cover. I’m not sure, but I think there may have been both a clock and an owl on the front, with a blue background that might have been the night sky. There was definitely a clock at the least. From what I recall, one hour (“__ o’clock”) was illustrated per page and each page featured a a couple lines of the poem running through the book, mentioning the hour and referring to the scene depicted in the image. I don’t remember any lines perfectly but one example might be
“12 o’clock, the birds are sleeping
In the trees beneath the moon.
1 o’clock, the dog is howling.
Do you think they like his tune?”
There was definitely a line very similar to “Do you think they like his tune?” somewhere in the
book in reference to an animal making sounds in the night.
Thanks in advance for you help!
I’m looking for a book I read around 2006-2008, from an elementary school library. It was a chapter book, I think fantasy. A boy was sent to find something. He travels and meets characters that walk on tree branches and live on treetops. The tree dwellers were surprised how well main character adapted. At one point there is a fire, and protagonists set smaller fires they can manage to help stop the large fire. Their reasoning was fire can’t spread if lands already burned. I think in the end we find out main character wasn’t expected to return/be successful. So far I’ve only ruled out Brian Aldiss’ Hothouse.
Maybe Tomi Ungerer’s ‘The Three Robbers’?
Try this: The Three Robbers, by Tomi Ungerer.
Thanks 🙂
Sorry it took so long to reply, ciomputer issues…
Yes, thank you… That’s it. 🙂
This is an odd one… A picture book about a gang of criminals, all of whom wore black hats and cloaks/coats that seemed to merge together to become one person with three or four heads… Sorry I can’t remember any real details.
I was hoping someone could tell me the title of a book I think I got from scholastic in the 70’s probably 1976, although it may have been older or a book from the classroom. I am not sure. I seem to remember a paperback copy . A father has to take a job at an animal shelter. There is talk of smoke from
basically cremations. (I know it might be set during the depression, or something.) The kids don’t like this aspect and try to find homes for the animals. They end up making it a no kill shelter, although I don’t know if it is called that, because they find the right homes for the pets. Everyone is happy, the end. I really appreciate you your efforts. Have a great week!
Maybe this one?
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1955124.The_Wolves_of_Willoughby_Chase
Looks like we both remembered Sylvia’s cold train ride!
Yes! Thank you!!
You’re welcome. 🙂
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase?
That’s it!! Thanks!
Hi! I’m looking for a book I read as a 6-8 year old (mid 1970s). All I can remember is a vivid description at the beginning of how cold the main character (young girl) was on a trip to a large home. It was set I believe in the late 1800s or early 1900s, since the travel was my horse and carriage. I seem to think she was an orphan headed to family whom she had never met before. Not Orphan Annie, not Secret Garden, not Little House on the Prairie series. Help!!
Hello!
I’ve been looking for this book for ages and it’s been on my mind again recently!
I read it sometime in 2007-2009 in my school library in Australia. It was a middle grade fantasy book that began in a village that had modern appliances but no electricity- I remember a lightbulb being described as a glass pear. I think the protagonist was a young boy, and a new girl appears from over the mountains, and they travel together. I read it as a bindup and in one of the later books the antagonist tricks one of the protagonists into eating a sandwich, which is actually their friend, who is in the form of a bird at the time (sorry if that’s very confusing!)
At one point there’s also a cabin in the woods.
Any help would be much appreciated!!
I’m looking for a book that I would have had in the 90’s- it was filled with facts and short stories and the pages may have been blue. The cover had a boy reading with a flashlight under the covers (illustration) and I believe this also was related to title. I remember distinctly a bit about tomatoes being a fruit or vegetable!
It had some mildly spooky things in it- likely scholastic/book order. Any help is welcome!
Is it Love You Forever by Robert Munsch?
It’s not:( but I love that book and thanks for the reply!
Might be No Flying in the House by Betty Brock.
Hi!
Desperate, and complete shot in the dark.
My wife described to me a book she used to borrow, repeatedly, from her public library as a child. I would love to be able to find and surprise her with it due to the sentimental value.
Timeframe would have been from 1988-1996, when she most likely read it. The public library would have been located in Texas if that is relevant.
She recalls these things: Rabbits/Bunnies, Hearts, and specifically a Cookie/Baking recipe on the back cover.
Thank you so much for any help!
Hello! I’m looking for a book my mom used to read my brother and me in the 80s. It’s had colorful illustrations, cute not realistic looking. I believe it said something about “I love you” on every page. And I recall it having the steps of getting ready for bed. One page the child was taking a bath, one they were getting in bed, etc. I also remember there being a little hidden mouse in each illustration. I kind of remember the mom having reddish, curly hair, but not certain on that detail. I’ve been looking and googling for years to no avail! Thank you!
Hi, I’m looking for a book I loved as a kid in the 1970s, but I can’t remember the name of it for the life of me. It was a large hardback book, and in a comic format, with text in speech bubbles, and *beautifully* illustrated. I think the author/illustrator was a woman, but I can’t be sure. The illustrations were gorgeous and in colour. The plot was a bunch of farm animals want a holiday, so the horse/pony restores an old bus out of scrap materials to take them to the seaside. I remember the wheels of the bus were made of old half-barrels, and one particular half-page ‘box’ image of the pony diving with mask and snorkel, and how beautiful that one picture was, with corals, fish, etc. I *think* there was a little girl as well, but I’m not sure.The book was a similar size and thickness to hardback Asterix or TinTin books. It was set in rural England, and the author was definitely British. I want to say the pony was called Prudence or Polly, but I can’t be sure. The illustrations were beautifully detailed, and remind me a little of Thewell’s style of cartoons – similar kind of roundness, but Thewell was not the illustrator.
Sorry I can’t remember more.
Hi!
Desperate, and complete shot in the dark.
My wife described to me a book she used to borrow, repeatedly, from her public library as a child. I would love to be able to find and surprise her with it due to the sentimental value.
Timeframe would have been from 1988-1996, when she most likely read it. The public library would have been located in Texas if that is relevant.
She recalls these things: Rabbits/Bunnies, Hearts, and specifically a Cookie/Baking recipe on the back cover.
Thank you so much for any help!
I’m looking for a children’s book probably from the 1960’s. It involved a wind-up dog that came to life. It was a fancy dog, though, because its eyes were jewels. It might have had more jewels on it, too. Thanks for any help you can give me.
Hello. I read this book in the early Ninetees but no idea when published. Plot is about a boy who sees a spacecraft crash and he finds a ‘badge’ with a switch that can make him fly on his bicycle and I think also shrink or grow. I cant remember much else. I think its title was something like “Man from Mars” but internet searches show nothing of the sort.