Category Archives: Picture Book

372Y: Early/mid 20th century children’s picture book; space fantasy setting; no text

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When I was a child in the 80s, there was an old picture book at the public library. It had no text, but it took place in a kind of fairy tale castle on some other planet. If I remember correctly, each scene followed two children as they explored the castle. They may have been following a piece of yarn that eventually led them to where their mother sat knitting in one of the castle rooms or towers. There may have been a sort of robotic-looking cat playing with the yarn at some point. I remember the artwork as being full color paintings like you find with 1960s scifi book covers or movie posters.

372W: Frau The Hare

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A children’s book which my Dad read to me when I was about 5. About a hare running from the hunt .. I remember feeling her fear .. for herself and her babies back home in the burrow .. When she arrived back safely with her babies I cried and cried !
It was a hardcover with pictures and the story .. a4 on its side . I think it had a dust cover as well ..

372V: A staying-up-late book

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I would’ve read this picture book in the 80s or maybe early 90s but it could have been from earlier too. It was about a little girl (not sure if she was a human girl or an animal like Frances, etc) who thinks her parents (and sister?) have a party after she goes to bed each night. She finally convinces them to let her stay up and it’s fun and I think they maybe eat toast?
It is not a Frances book, it’s not “I Hate to go to Bed”, and it’s not “Amy’s Long Night”.
Thank you!

372O: Vintage children’s photo book – 1960s or earlier

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Hello Book Heroes!  The very back of my brain has been tickling me about a book I had as a child, and I’m hoping you can find it for me. 

I don’t recall whether there was any text at all, but I think they were nursery rhymes – what I DO remember is that the illustrations were all photos of miniature items arranged in scenes, perhaps with live baby animals (chicks, kittens, puppies)?  If they weren’t live animals, they would have been perhaps plastic figures, maybe with flocking to make them look fuzzy.

372N: Mystery children’s book

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I have been searching quite a long time for a book I remember from my early childhood. I was born in 1964, and I think the book was considered old back then. I believe the illustrations were black and white. The main character was a skinny boy who wore only a loincloth and turban, and there were many sea creature friends in the grotto. I remember the fishes’ eyes seemed rather human-like.

372D: Going through a day in the city

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Children’s picture book from 1960s\1970s Ink drawings (with possibly a pop of one color?) fully covering both pages. Very few words. The detailed drawings followed characters throughout their day in the city (similar to “In the Town All Year Round” by Rotraut Susanne Brener). I remember a girl’s birthday party, a barber shop, and an alligator coming out of a sewer. The book size is tall and thin, (approx 12x 10?). I think it had an orange fabric cover. The book was read in the US in the late 70s, and early 80s, but was likely a hand-me-down from older siblings. Thank you for any leads.

372C: The eye stalk monsters

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 I have been looking for years for a book I read years ago.  
I can remember that it was mostly a picture book with lots of monsters that had eye stalks.  but they were all shapes and sizes.  I will include a picture of my badly remembered approximation of some of them.  Some had spots and tentacles. 
I can’t remember the year I read it in but it was around 2000. So it had to be published before then.  It was a comical book not scary, may have had jokes? I don’t remember reading too much, mostly visual.  There was one page where there was a factory and it was broken or not working right and it was oozing slime, or goo everywhere.
It was very colorful, and very unique art style once you see it you don’t forget it, I just wish I could figure out who the artist was
Thank you in advance!

371Z: Keywords: summer, swimming, towels, pink lemonade

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I’m trying to remember an illustrated hardcover book probably under 30 pages. If I had to guess I would have read this around 1989 and I’m thinking it was already a few years old at this point but not sure. If I remember correctly it was the story about two boys during summer I would guess set in the 1960’s but don’t quote me on that, reminiscing about the things they did. I remember them drinking pink lemonade with one of the boys grandfathers and walking to either a pool or a beach with rolled up towels under their arms to go swimming. I’m not too sure but I feel like one of them had trouble swimming but can’t remember anymore that that. It was pretty colorful and had a nice art style.

371Y: The colorful mud people, and metallic foil birds

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I’m looking for two books for my sister for Christmas. She was born in the mid 70s and they were books that she loved as a child but she doesn’t remember much about either.

1) mud golems or mud people who may be feel drab, and then find paint or color puddles and absorb the colors and become colorful? I’m so sorry I don’t have title or author, and it sounds vague.

2) the second one was a black glossy book for children about starlings? The unique thing about this particular book is it had metallic foil illustrations. She absolutely loved it. If she sends any more details about either book, I’ll pass them along but thank you for such a cool and quirky service.