Category Archives: 1950s

253E: The man who scented the flowers

This was a short story in a book of many. It was a book from the late 1960’s or early 1970’s and tells a story about an old bearded guy or a gnome type that would give the flowers their scent and color. He was carrying the bottles over a river as he walked across a log and slipped into the water and the fish tried to help him collect the bottles. There was also a girl or fairy who was in the story. The pictures were very colorful and fun.

 

253C: Two girls form a friendship and write a book

Children’s book, probably writer in the 40’s or 50’s about two women who were friends when they were younger. They had started a book; one girl would write a chapter and then pass it to the other who would do the same. They had a teacher who they didn’t like. The teacher had hair that was rolled in a bun that looked like sausages. They also painted illustrations for the book on the wax paper the Shredded Wheat biscuit came in.

Thanks!!!

251F: The witch asked for her eyebrows (Solved)

I’m also looking for a book probably written in the 50’s/60’s about a witch that would grant wishes but the children had to give something in payment. So one boy wanted to be able to talk to his dog, but because it was French poodle, it only spoke in French. Another girl wanted a wish granted and the witch asked for her eyebrows.

250A: A Long Lost Christmas Book (Solved)

Greetings from upstate New York!
I hope you can help me identify and find a book I had as a child.
I do not know the title or what the cover looked like because my copy was missing the cover. But here are the facts as I remember them:

I was born in 1960, so this book had to be late 50’s early – mid 60’s
It was a Christmas book – containing many different stories/legends from the birth of Christ to the real Saint Nicholas to Christmas legends like the Christmas Spider
It was a large, oversized book, say 12″ x 18″ ish. It was not a thick book.

What was so great about it was the artwork – very beautiful renderings – not cartoony or modernish, more like realistic paintings. So the art was appealing for even adults, but the stories were short, maybe one or two per page. If I had to guess, I would say the art style was something similar to this picture below.

stumppic

As a child, the images I remembered the most was the story of St. Nicholas paying the dowries of three poor women. They were all sleeping in a bed and he threw a bag of gold in through the window.
There was also a story of this flying ( but I don’t remember it with wings!), hairy, red-eyed beast with sharp tusks/teeth, but I can’t remember the story. LOL – I don’t think it was Krampus, because it was more like an animal (wolfish) than a human devil guy.
Another feature was the rich colors of the end papers. Like a renaissance fabric pattern. I think red with a little blue and gold in a repeating diamond pattern, I think – it has been a long time since the book was lost or given away.

So I know these are a lot of random details – I wish I had the title and publisher, but maybe you can help me – my desire is to purchase a replacement copy to pass on to future grandkids.

248B: He dreamed of pheasant hunting

I am looking for book I read back around 1970 at our local library-already checked with them.

It is a short hardcover bound youth book written probably for ages 8-12. I suspect it was probably written no earlier than 1950 and no later than 1970, by I suspect a minor author.

The short story, as I recall, is about a young boy who obsessively thinks and dreams about going pheasant hunting, he eventually does go pheasant hunting, gets all scratched up in the thickets chasing the elusive ring necked pheasant and after a long unsuccessful day of hunting I believe his father ends up buying some pheasants to take home so his son does not feel unsuccessful.

As I recall the book had a blue cloth cover with black impressed line drawing of a pheasant or two and perhaps a shotgun.

I would like to buy this book, not really concerned about the price-want to give it to my son.

It is for sure not “Danny the Champion of the World.”

Thanks

247A: Search for an ember and strange things happen (Solved)

I am looking for a children’s book that I read repeatedly at the public library back in the 60s. It was about 2 brothers that fought nonstop. One evening as they fought down a road into deep woods it started getting dark and cold. They decided to stop fighting long enough to start a fire to warm up to. Spying some “ember” up in a tree they climb the tree to “fetch” it and start the fire. Once they get up the tree they realize that it is an wild animal or monster. The remainder of the book is the brothers trying to get away from it. I always thought that the title was the Strange Thing. But I must be mistaken as I cannot find anything at all on that.

Thanks Again!