Category Archives: 1980s

344L: Brother and Sister Run Amuck Through Restaurant

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My book Stumper is a children’s book that I predict comes from the 90s (even 80s maybe). I had it read to me everyday when I was a kid (I’m 22 now).

I have no idea what it’s called, but the cover depicts night time (Navy blue) with a restaurant illustration! I remember the book being rather large and rectangle (long). To give you a visualization, it sort of resembles Van Gogh's “Cafe Terrace at Night” painting!

The book follows a brother and a sister who run amuck through the restaurant - they run through the chefs kitchen and hide under the tables. They also do a lot of magic tricks. I vividly remember a white rabbit in a hat and the extending handkerchiefs!

The girl has black hair in a short haircut, and I can’t remember what the brother looks like.

I suspect that it’s not a popular childrens book as I’ve looked at countless lists and it’s never been there!

If you can find this book, I will be beyond happy. I have literally been searching for it for YEARS!

343U: Foiled By a Tricky Sock

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A friend and I remember a book from childhood and cannot find it. We are both in our mid 30s.
The book illustration is the most memorable one. A character has a sock, and is using said sock to collect and hold bright primary colored marbles or candy, but there is an unraveling and/or hole near the toe of the sock and the things are trickling out along the way.

343L: Boyfriend Sleeps in Snow on Cold Night to Prove Love (Solved!)

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I have searching for this book for a while. It is something I read in middle school. I’m 36 years old. The book was about a high school girl that was dating her brother’s best friend. It takes place in a state in the US where it snows and some or all of the book takes place during winter. I remember there was a window seat where she drank hot chocolate and looked out and saw him in the front yard. There was also a scene where they got into a fight and to prove himself to her he built himself a place to sleep in the snow in her front yard. I remember the Mom remarking that it was cold out there. Unfortunately I don’t remember the title or author or names of the main characters but I remember the book being well written and very age appropriate for middle school and early high school. I hope you can figure it out!! I would love to grab a copy for my home library. Thank you!

343K: Jojo the Monkey

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I am trying to track down a children’s book I had growing up in the late 70s/early 80s. It was a hardcover book (I think it was green) and it was entitled something like “The Adventures of Jojo.” The book had a lot of illustrations and featured a little monkey called Jojo. i used to LOVE the book, but can’t seem to find any info anywhere. Please help.

343G: Rhyming Alphabet Book

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Searching for the alphabet book I had as a child in the late 80s/early 90s in Ohio. There’s no overarching theme for the entire book, other than alphabet. Each letter had a couplet as a sentence, so the book has a rhyming rhythm when read out loud. For example “C is for cookie, would you like a bite?” A few of the letters that I can recall are listed below. The book was printed in color.
A is for airplane, up in the sky
B is for bridge
C is for cookie, would you like a bite
E is for egret
J is for jumping bean
N is for nightingale
T is for taffy
Z is for zeppelin

343E: Grotesque Picture Book (Solved!)

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I read this book in the 1980s. There were large pictures on every page. The art was reminiscent of Arthur Rackham or the 1980s movie "Flight of Dragons." The figures could be quite grotesque with pointy ears, grey skin, or warts. The main character is a young girl. At one point she has to cross a wide canyon or chasm on a very thin or invisible string. I believe there is an ogress, troll, or giant that she outwits. The layout of the book was landscape (not portrait) and the cover had a purple border. Any help you could provide finding this book would be greatly appreciated!

343A: Fixing Up Old House Leads To A Change Of Mind

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The book I am looking for is about a couple who decides they want a better house and they will sell theirs and move. But to sell it they must fix it up. They then proceed to fix it up (the garden, new paint, etc.). At the end their current house is so lovely that they decide its what they wanted all along and decide to stay.
I read it in the mid 80s at my grandmas house.
I would be delighted if you could solve my mystery

342X: Asian Inspired Dragon Picture Book

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I was hoping someone out there would have a bit of information on a book I’ve been looking for over the last 20-25 years. The book was a hardcover, horizontal/landscape style. It was highly stylized, with what I could only describe as flat/paper like art. The book had little story to speak of, with the appeal being the detailed art. I believe the book had some fold outs as well.
The little text it had was descriptions of the dragons (if there even was that). It may have served as an encyclopedia of different dragons (Ice Dragon, Mountain Dragon, Forest Dragon, etc).

The dragons were mostly Asian-like in nature but there may have been some Western ones tacked on as well.

I think it was printed in the late 80s or early 90s, but it may just have been when the book was available to me. I can’t see it being from before the 1970s, it’s just too stylized. It’s possible, but I don’t think it was.