I am looking for picture books (with words). I read as a child and checked it out from our local library in Seymour, IN. I believe there was more than one book by the author. I think they were square shaped hard back books. The children in them were cute with dimpled knees and very round faces (not Campbell Soup kid related or Dick and Jane). I recall a girl being sort of the main character in these books about their small adventures. This would have been the early to mid 1980s when I was reading these. The pictures were very simple. I think I recall a story about a mud puddle in one of the books and the girl’s name may have been Mary but I’m not sure.
Stump the Bookseller
New format, same book stumper solving.
There’s a story in one of the Milly-Molly-Mandy books about a puddle outside the school. The books were originally published in the 1920s but have gone through many many reprintings. The children definitely have that rounded wholesome appearance – though the books are more young reader than picture books.
No, these aren’t them. Thank you though!
I would take a look at the work of Eloise Wilkin and see if her illustrations seem right to you. She wrote and/or illustrated a lot of Little Golden Books.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eloise_Wilkin
Aw. I remember these books. But alas, they aren’t them either…
Not sure if The Hugga Bunch had dimpled knees, but they certainly had round faces and were popular at about that time. I’m sure there were books about them, but can’t direct you to a certain one.
No, these aren’t them. Thank you though!
For some reason, it makes me think of a series that I had called The Bugleberry books. https://www.google.com/search?q=the+bugleberry+books&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjj7ZGG2e3RAhVDHGMKHS1ZCUcQ_AUICSgC&biw=1920&bih=943
No. But thank you.
Another long shot… the round faces and dimpled knees makes me think of the Little Elf book “Plump Pig” by Helen and Alf Evers. You can see some of the illustrations in this closed etsy listing: https://www.etsy.com/listing/275378320/plump-pig-vintage-elf-book-1956 The Evers had many books as did the Little Elf series, but they don’t really match your recurring character requirement.
These are older dates than I think the books I’m looking for were written. Thank you.
Maybe books by Gyo Fujikawa? Most of them are collections, but there were a few (with checkerboard borders, I think) that followed a little girl’s adventures.
I’m wondering if the illustrations were Shirley Hughes, who has used jumping in puddles in many books, especially in the Alfie and Annie Rose books. An example of her work – http://images.gr-assets.com/books/1477231458l/1299794.jpg
Flicka, Ricka, and Dicka? Particularly “And the New Dotted Dresses”? They ruin their dresses in mud, in that one.
http://www.tessaclogs.com/browseproducts/Flicka–Ricka–Dicka-and-the-New-Dotted-Dress.HTML