I’m searching for a children’s book from the 1940’s or 50’s. I thought it was a Little Golden Book but I don’t think it is now. It was my mother’s favorite. It had a story about a woman taking care of children and I believe she took him into a candy store and there were stars on the ceiling. She broke off 1 of her fingers and turned it into a piece of candy for them to suck on. It’s very bizarre; I remember her reading it to me and she just loved it and I would like to know what this the title of it was so I can find it for her. She used to read me “Little orphan Annie came to our house to stay…” put a candle underneath her face and do this voice. It was wonderful and slightly creepy all at once. She owned a bookstore when I was little so I’ve been reading since I was 3; no TV or video games allowed, but as many books as we pleased, most of them children’s books over 100 years old. Lamb on Wheels; The Adventures of Frog and Toad; everything Mark Twain – I loved his short stories, especially the one with the devil. I was a slightly creepy child. I’m 48 and mom is 71. If you need any more details I’ll try and think of anything I can. Thank you!
Stump the Bookseller
New format, same book stumper solving.
These scenes are from Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers. In the original Mary Poppins book, she takes the children to buy gingerbread treats with gold paper stars on them. The children peel the treats from their stars and save them. That evening, when they are supposed to be sleeping, they see the woman who sold them the gingerbread and her daughters pasting the stars into the night sky.
The same woman, Mrs. Corry, breaks her fingers off and offers them to the children as candy, peppermint or barley sugar. This is when they are in her shop to buy the gingerbread.
Thanks for refreshing my memory. I was looking for my copy of Mary Poppins to verify that the gold stars were from the gingerbread! I am cutting out gold foil stars as we speak to place on the bars. I am sixty seven years old and remember my grandmother reading this story for me.
Wow oh wow! I am 66 years old and this mystical yet enchanting tale has always been in my mind. I could never put my finger on where the story came from or if I made it up as a child.
Now I know that I am not imagining it!!! Can a copy of it be obtained?
Thanks for the memory.
Sounds like scene from Mary Poppins. Mrs Cory could break off her fingers to feed the twins.
P. L. Travers
The Gingerbread Shop, from Mary Poppins.
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/p-l-travers-2/the-gingerbread-shop/
The story sounds like Mrs Corry, a story from Mary Poppins by PL Travers. It was published as a standalone Little Golden Book at one point.
In the Mary Poppins books there is a character named Mrs. Corry who has a gingerbread shop. When she snaps off her fingers, they turn into gingerbread and the Banks children eat them.
I was JUST searching for this also. I loved this book as a child (I am 69). I thought it was a Golden Book too. Thank you for the answer.