The book I am looking for was published in the early 1970s or possibly late 60s. It was a large format children’s book (probably around 15″ tall by 10-12″ wide). If I remember right, it had a black and white checked border on the cover, similar to The Real Mother Goose. It was an anthology of children’s stories. There was a story about a little girl who picks her neighbors flowers, and her mother explains to her that she shouldn’t do that and they plant a garden for the little girl so she has her own flowers. There is another story about a little boy picking huckleberries and pretending to be a bear or maybe running into a bear in the woods. There is another one about a little girl who reads The Little Red Hen and then she pretends to be the red hen. There is also a poem called “Look at Me, Mama” wherein a bunch of different bugs do things and tell their mothers to look at them – there is a line that goes something like “And when a little water bug sticks his face – his WHOLE FACE – into the water and says ‘look at me, mama!’, she does!”
The graphics in the book are all very much straight out of 1968 – 1975.
For the life of me, I cannot remember what this book was called and I’ve not seen a copy of it for years. I’ve been googling everything I can think to google. It was one of my favorite books when I was a kid and I want to share it with my son, who is now about the age I was when my mom used to read it to me.
I hope you can find it – thank you!
The Real Book of First Stories, by June Goldsborough.
Contents (via Worldcat):
Mathews, G.B. Look at me, mamma!–Kent, B. Molli and Mrs. Neighbor.–Olson, H.K. The three little pigs.–Anderson, J. Romper, Tromper, Stomper, and Boo.–Engelken, R. Just old enough.–Joyce I. Zoo riders.–Elwart, J.P. The little red hen.–Huey, M. The girl who wanted to be a little red hen.–Coates, R.A. When I am a bear.–Joyce, I. The three bears.–Tompert, A. The 621 friends of Aaron Zee.–White, F.M. Hello, sun.–Kent, B. Erik and Red and the store.–Joyce, I. Little Red Riding Hood.–Lacey, B.I went to the zoo in the rain.–Olson, H.K. Henry and Mr. Bear.
OMG THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!! I completely forgot to come back and check, and randomly thought of this today. You solved the mystery!! I look forward to getting my hands on a copy of this book and driving my son nuts reading it. 🙂