Category Archives: 1940s

213A: Generous Queen Marries Curmudgeon

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I am Looking for a children’s book, about the size of a Little Golden Book, although I am not sure that this was a Little Golden Book. I think it was called either The Magic Garden or The Secret Garden (not Frances Hodgen Burnett’s book). It was the story of a beautiful, generous queen married to a curmudgeon husband. She had access to a garden full of flowers, elves and fairies, beautifully illustrated. Of course, the husband is ultimately converted by her compassion and dealings with the poor. I recall it from the ’30’s and ’40’s so it was probably published about then.

203A: brother and sister take a train trip

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I am seeking a c. 1930’s-40’s reader, probably about 3rd or 4th grade level, in which a brother and sister take a train trip to visit another boy in the country. An illustration shows them having breakfast on the train. There are eggcups on the table, and the text refers to “freshly squeezed orange juice.” I believe that the cover may have had an illustration with orange detailing and black lettering. The book was a discard, given to me in 1953.

Thanks for any help in identifying this long-lost book.

178A: Cool Cars from 40’s or 50’s

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As a child I was gifted a hard cover picture book, written in the late 40’s or 50’s. It contained wonderful pencil-drawn illustrations of sleek and aerodynamic autos of that era. They were drawn from the perspective of a child viewing from a sidewalk in a busy city. I do not recall the name of the book, or even the story, but I have vivid memories of the drawings.

163C:Collection with Little Red Hen and a Fox (solved)

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I’m looking for a collection of children’s short stories that my mom read as a child (either read herself or had them read to her – her memory is fuzzy).  She was born in 1944.  She remembers illustrations in the book and the book having a story about a fox and a little red hen.  Any information or leads you can provide would be awesome!