I read a book as a school aged kid in the 70’s and I think it was probably published in the 70’s.
The most memorable thing about it was the illustrations. I found them so creepy, I could barely look at them. Kind of like the illustration of Alice in Wonderland when her neck gets stretched by Tenniel.
The picture I remember most clearly was one that was a black and white drawing and the girl is holding a single egg in the kitchen. The perspective is as if she’s holding the egg up to a camera on the ceiling. She has large eyes and looks creepy. Imagine Wednesday from the Addams Family holding the egg.
The plot was about a strange girl who moved next door to the main character – a girl of the same age I think. Probably about my age at the time, 10 or 11. I think the new girl holding the egg had some kind of magical powers. I don’t remember liking the girl, so she wasn’t like a fun Pippi Longstocking character. I think the setting was in the country. Definitely not in the city. The kitchen seems like a farm kitchen in a farm house.
I don’t think this was popular book at all. I think I tried to make my friends read it to see if they found it as creepy as I did, and they declined.
I’m afraid that’s all I’ve got. Thanks in advance!
I’m guessing Who Is Victoria, 1973, by Betty K. Erwin. I didn’t find the pictures creepy when I was a kid, but almost all the other details fit, including the picture of her holding up the egg.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2278021.Who_is_Victoria_
Aww, beat me to it! I agree, it’s Who is Victoria.
I think that’s it! I’ll know when I see the illustrations inside. How did you find it? Did you just remember it? Was this book more popular than I had realized? Thank you!!!
I own a copy, and you’re not wrong, it’s obscure. True story, when Cricket Magazine was being founded my mom worked for Clifton Fadiman, the senior editor. He gave us newly published children’s books that had been sent to him, that he didn’t think were worth keeping. He made a couple of bad mistakes — a few of my favorite books came from him.