Tag Archives: poetry

367X: Family takes an elevator underground – whistle if you get lost

The book I’m looking for is as follows:

Children’s book   – from the UK
I read it in the UK when i was a kid in the 1970s

It was illustrated but with line drawings – was for older kids, maybe 7/8 and up?
There was a story in it about a family who takes an elevator down into the ground, and they whistle to each other if they get lost.
It was a collection of stories for kids. 

It might have also had poetry in it
This story has haunted me for years, no idea if it will ring a bell with someone somewhere

360R: I hate the dope that thought up soap

When I was a child in the late 90’s there was a book of I think children’s rhymes in my grandmother’s house in North Carolina that she used to read to me. I think it was already an old book at that time, possibly from her years as a teacher or from my father’s childhood.   It had the phrase “I hate the dope who thought up soap.” And something like “I wish he’d eat it!”   Something along those lines. I’ve googled this phrase and found only the books by Megan McDonald, but those were published starting in 2000 so are too recent to be what I’m thinking of.  Help please?

357G: The Little Old Lady (Solved!)

This might actually be in the title of the book. It may have been published in the 70s or before but definitely not later than the early 80s. I believe it was a book of children's poems about an old lady and one of them was "There was an old lady who wanted to ski, she wouldn't take lessons - it's easy said she! She tried and she tried but she just couldn't go. Nobody told her she had to have snow."

355S: Children’s Book, 60s, Green cover?

I’m looking for a book that I had in the early sixties.
It showed a mom on the cover who was sitting on a sofa in a living room reading from a book.

On the cover of the mom’s book – there was also a picture of a mom reading from a book.

I can’t recall if the children were on the couch with her or were on the floor in front of her as she read.
I think the book had rhymes or poems or stories.  I thought it was green.
Thank you so much for trying to remember this book for me!

349F: Boy with gigantic tall spoon catching clouds

I am seeking a vintage children’s anthology possibly printed somewhere between 1940s-1960s. Possibly earlier.
The main clue is an illustration of a boy holding a huge spoon, (tall like a ladder) scooping up clouds.
The featured poem with the illustration is
CLOUDS
 by Dorothy Aldis
If I had a spoon
As tall as the sky
I’d dish out the clouds
That go slip-sliding by.
I’d take them right in
And give them to cook
And see if they tasted
As good as they look.
I’ve searched other books and I can usually find this poem, but I cannot find the right illustration of the little boy holding the tall spoon catching clouds.
The book was a hardcover cloth-like blue,  with faded letters embossed on cover. There was no dust jacket.
I thought maybe the book was “Here, There, and Everywhere” by D. Aldis, but as it turns out, it is not the right book 🤔
Size of the book was approximately
 8″ x 11″x 1″ thick.

347W: On the Wing of a Lark – Children’s Poems

This was a short book of children’s poetry I had as a child and it seemed like an older book even then. So it is at least 35 years old but likely more. I remember a few of the poems vaguely. One was about the changing seasons, I remember Autumn had apple trees and children collecting them. And another about the day passing using birds i.e. the sun rises with the robin…night come on the wing of a lark or something like that? There was also one about a toothache. What I remember the most is the illustrations. They were very delicate with children that had chubby cheeks. The trees were drawn with curly cues. For the toothache one the little girl had a handkerchief tied around her face. It was in English but maybe British because of the words that were used like lark and morning tea.

The book itself was about the size of a sheet of paper and covered in light blue cloth. The cloth was much like my Hardy Boys books. The title was on the binding and for the life of me, I can’t remember what it was. Something like: The Robin Brings the Sun or the Robin Sings the Morning…I’ve tried googling a lot of variations but since the book is older I’ve given up trying to find it that way. Due to how I remember it and since the front of the book didn’t have the title I’d assume it may have had a dust jacket that had gotten removed at some point. I was hoping to get it from my mom for my daughter but they’ve moved so many times it got given away at some point. Would love to find it as it was a favorite when I was little.

346B: Search for Children’s Anthology with Precious Few Details

I am (and have long been) searching for a children’s anthology I read and re-read as a child in the early 1960’s.  With the passage of time, my memories of the book have faded, but here’s what I still remember:  The book had both stories and poems, with some illustrations.  It had a chapter which, if I recall correctly, was called “From Baffin Bay to Patagonia.”  There was a story about Snowshow Thompson delivering the mail.  I recall a poem by Carl Sandberg and maybe a story about Abe Lincoln.  The binding was grey or brown, and I do not recall the binding having illustrations.  I wish I could remember more, but alas, I cannot.  Hope you can help.  I would love to re-discover the book.

338B: “If Pigs Could Fly”

I am searching for a book from my childhood.  I believe it is titled “If Pigs Could Fly”, but may be titled “When Pigs Fly”.  It may have been a collection of stories or poems.  The most memorable thing about the book were the illustrations.  Intricate, stunning, and enchanting illustrations … almost magical.  On the cover, there is some sort of kingdom – maybe a castle in the background.  A young girl is riding a pig through the air, but she is only a small part of the cover illustration.
My Inside Self, which I believe is a poem by Rachel Field, is one of the poems I recall.  The illustration is of a little girl, short and portly, standing in front of her mirror dressed as a ballerina.  In her reflection in the mirror she sees a gorgeous, thin, delicate adult ballerina.
My mom thinks a British friend of hers gave us the book, so it’s possible it was a published in the UK (but not certain).
I would guess this book was published between 1987-1995.
I have searched many, many databases and haven’t had luck.  There are many other books with this title.  One even has “funny poems for kids”… the one I’m looking for was more about dreaming big and reaching for the stars — I think!