Category Archives: Nonfiction

291I: WWII drawings and cartoons

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This was a large (maybe a foot tall) book of drawings from the WWII era that belonged to my father, a WWII veteran. I think some of it was actual cartoons with dialog but what I remember most was wordless cartoon-like sketches/line drawings. There was (I think a full page) drawing of a bunch of soldiers in a huge room full of cots, with high ceilings and tall windows The soldiers were mostly half dressed, some playing cards, some sleeping, some (I think) cooking over little stoves. The general feeling was of a room in a huge mansion in Europe taken over to house soldiers. It was an amusing image but had no words. Another wordless picture was a line of army vehicles driving along a road with lots of people on the roadside including at least one man wearing a turban and a loin cloth and (I think) nothing else squatting at the side of the road. It felt like India. I looked at this book dozens of times over 50 years ago (it was old then and falling apart), but those are the only two drawings that really remain in my memory. I think, but I’m not at all certain, that the whole book was the work of one artist. I think, but again am not at all sure, that it was a paperback.

I would so love to see this book again, to have it. It fascinated me then and has haunted me for years. I’ve tried other on-line forums with no luck.

289I: Scientists with Mustaches

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I owned this book in the late 1980’s. It is a science book for children. Throughout the book, there are illustrations that include little cartoon scientists with mustaches (and glasses?). The only illustration I can actually remember is a microscope with the parts labeled and little mustachioed scientists climbing on it and looking at it. It was hardcover (no book jacket, just a glossy illustrated cover) and maybe about 1. 5 cm thick. The illustrations struck me as somewhat “European”.

274B: Non-fiction series with striped spines

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I’m trying to hunt down a series of nonfiction young reader picture books from the 80s. My family had 12-15 of them when I was growing up, and I recall them all having the same pattern on their spines – muted stripes of yellow, green, red, and blue. I’m under the impression that each book in the series had a different author/illustrator. Unfortunately I can’t remember any specific names or titles, but there are certain books from the series that I’ve tried to pinpoint:

Book 1: An instructional book on how to make costumes for various magical creatures and characters. There are instructions on how to make fairy and pirate costumes, among others I can’t recall. Vignette illustrations of fairy cakes and mushrooms are placed throughout. In the last spread, all of the magical characters have a feast.

Book 2: Title something along the lines of “On the Go” or “On the Move”? A more cartoonishly illustrated book on the progression of vehicle technology. Double page spread of horses and wagons mired in mud, illustrating life before the invention of roads. Some very 80s illustrations of sports cars. An image of a very nervous man in a tiny sedan being sandwiched between two Mac trucks.

Book 3: An instructional book on caring for pets, including detailed illustrations on how to build aquaria for turtles.

That’s pretty much it! I hope something rings a bell for someone. Good luck, everyone!

253F: Collected rock n roll tales

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I read a book,12 or so years ago, which I found in my library (I think it had a white cover with black writing and was quite thick), which included articles/chapters about the history of popular culture. there are only two chapters that I can remember- one is about a journalist meeting Dylan in a cafe and Dylan arrives without any bodyguards as he has somehow managed to project a kind of defense around himself and the other chapter had a title along the lines of ‘and the pilgrims visited Kerouac’s grave’ about how ‘kids’ go on a pilgrimage to visit Lowel to see Jack’s grave

I can find no trace of this book anywhere and have been looking for a few years and as stumper has helped me before I place myself in your very capable hands again!
thank you

252B: Don’t Throw This Book Away

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Deion: 1970s children’s book, I think called “Don’t Throw This Book Away” about all the ways you could reuse the book. Options in the book include using it as a bookmark in a larger book, or to prop up a short table leg, or shred it to put in the bottom of a hamster cage. Small, square book, with brightly colored pages (hot pink, for example) and illustrations. This is NOT the book called “Don’t Throw That Away” about recycling… just a similar name and theme!

252A: Squares

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From what I can remember I was in elementary school and we were asked to pick out a non-fiction book to read. It was about a young child who ventures into their neighbor’s backyard to find that they have sectioned it off into squares. The neighbor shows the child how to explore each square. All the details are very fuzzy but this is what I remember, hopefully it’s somewhat accurate.