Category Archives: 1960s

348Y: The Magician’s Windows and Other Short Stories (Solved!)

Seeking a collection of magical, short stories for children illustrated with grayscale sketches. I believe it was one author. The edition I read in the earlier 2000s was older, maybe 60s or 70s, and had black and white sketches for each story. The stories I remember include one of an acrobat who had never touched the ground since the day they were born, and it ends sadly when their lover is hurt and they fall from the sky?; a magician who had different colored window panes in each room of his house, and to the children who visited each window looked out to a different world, a yellow desert, a green jungle, a blue Atlantis; and two sisters whose parents each separately made deals with the sun and the moon so the babies would live – when the girls were grown they were light and dark, life and death. The light girl was always singing and keeping the parents happy, but the dark girl never sang until the parents were tired of the light girl’s songs – then the dark girl sang her only song, a song of eternal rest. Mostly what I remember from the book was how mystical and melancholic it felt.

348R: Fairies who paint?

I am in need of help to find a book from my moms childhood. She was born in the 60s so presumably it’s from anywhere around that time and before.
There are these fairies or elves (or pixies) who paint things the wrong colour – my mom has specifically mentioned fire hydrants and fire trucks. Maybe one naughty one paints them the wrong colour? Can’t be sure. It has very nice illustrations with the look of satisfying brush strokes apparently and is part of the reason she became a painter.
I would love to find it and give it to her for Christmas.

347U: Girl Sent to Live with Her Father Who Is a Pilot (Solved!)

I have been trying for years to remember the title of a book I read in the late 1960s or early 1970s when I was somewhere between third and fifth grade, I think.
Details I can remember: A young girl is sent to live with her father despite her not knowing him well. Over time, though, they develop a warm relationship. The father is a pilot and I believe the story takes place on a military base where the father lives. I may be mistaken but the base could be in Hawaii. I also remember that a Japanese man works at the house, maybe as a butler.
If you could possibly tell me what the title of this book is, I would be beyond grateful.
Thank you so much!

347T: 1960ish – Girl on farm for summer, horse riding, Indian rock paintings (?), county fair (?)

I read this book in about 1962. A girl goes to stay with relatives (I believe) on a farm for the summer. I seem to recall that she was straight laced and the farm family was very laid back. She learned to ride horses and they rode all over the countryside. A particular place I remember them going was to a rocky area (by a creek?) that had Indian paintings or markings on the rocks. I think the climax of the book was them going to possibly a county fair where there was a horse race.

347O: Children’s Picture Book – Bears Confused By Clothes (Solved!)

I loved this book as a child in the early 1960s. The story was about a family of bears who moved from their home in the forest to a big city. Because they now lived in the city, they all started wearing clothes, like the city people.  But after a few days of wearing clothes, the bears could no longer recognize each other among all the hundreds of city people, who were also wearing clothes. The bears became separated from each other. They were sad and lonely, because each of them was alone.
One day, a huge storm swept through the city streets and blew everyone’s clothes off. The bears happened to be on the same city block. With their clothes blown off, the bears immediately recognized each other and joyfully reunited. They raced away from the city and returned to their cozy home in the forest, so glad to be together again.

346V: Sex Workers Categorize Their Types of Clients

Non-fiction. Published pre-2008.  Possibly a few decades earlier. Authored by 1 or 2+ woman writers. This book details 13 (?) 15(?) types of male johns who frequent female prostitutes.  It is the result of studies and/or interviews conducted with prostitutes (possibly including 1 or more of the authors?) about the archetypes of johns who are categorized based on their preferences, requests, proclivities. It is an obscure book, somewhat academic in nature.  Possibly a U.S.-based publication. The title–I believe–did include a number referencing how many categories of johns there are.   (Note:  the book is NOT The Johns: Sex for Sale and the Men Who Buy It).

346H: Picture Book – Kid With Blanket on Beach

Here’s what I’m looking for:
Old children’s book
Mostly line drawings
The line drawing might have one splash of color in it on some pages
Very few words on each page, maybe one or two
About a little kid, has a blanket in the story, maybe the beach?
Has a humorous ending
Small book, I think hardback
Horizontal, rectangle
Yellow cover maybe
Read to children in the early 1980s so may be published 1968 to 1984?

346E: Book about a little girl with lace gloves

Hi, I have tracked down all the books from my childhood (a few through your site!) but there is one I simply cannot find. All I can remember of it is there was a little girl with pretty lace gloves. I believe the gloves may have been a plot point – that she lost them or something. It was a picture book. I am American, born in 1974, and I remember this from when I was quite young, so I’m thinking late 60’s, early 70’s. The girl was all dressed up and put on these little wrist-length gloves and went out somewhere. Any thoughts you had would be greatly appreciated!