Looking for the title of a picture book I had when I was a child–and absolutely LOVED.
Clues:
1. I know I possessed it at least as early as 1960/1961, and it was a used book when I got it. So my guess is that it was published sometime in the 1950’s, or even the late 1940’s.
2. As I recall, the book had an unusual shape. The top edge was curved, rather than straight across. I’m not 100% certain about this, but it is my strong recollection. It was taller than it was wide, giving it a much more rectangular shape.
3. There were both stories and poems in the book.
4. This was definitely not a sweet, endearing, Beatrix Potter-type book. The stories had a slightly darker edge to them. One of the poems was about a big, creepy tree, and the drawing of the tree scared me silly–but I loved it!
5. One of the stories was about a mischievous boy (it used that word specifically–it had to be explained to me) and one of the naughty things he did in the story was take piano keys off the piano and stuff them down between the crack in the floor boards.
There you have it…that’s all I remember. I sure hope someone can track this one down!
This book is The Tall Book of Make-Believe, a collection of stories selected by Jane Werner, with illustrations by Garth Williams. It was published in 1950. The story about the boy who shoves the piano keys through the floorboards is “The Very Mischief” by Lesley Frost.
I had been looking for this very same book for years! I also had it as a kid, in the ’70s, already used and worn then. I couldn’t for the life of me think of the title, but I too was both creeped out and fascinated by that story with the kid and the piano keys! I found it via a looooong image search, and then came across this post (a bit late, but anyway) by googling the book itself. Now we both know, thanks to you, Laura!