Category Archives: Picture Book

358M: Children’s book on a boy and too many cats

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I’m hoping you can help us find this book we read to my daughters when they were young in the late 1990s, early 2000s:
The book is either a picture book or a beginning readers book about a boy who loses his cat, and decides to put “wanted” posters up around his neighborhood. But he forgets to put a picture of his cat on the poster, and neighbors bring all sorts of cats of every variety to his house and his home fills up with cats. There are lovely illustrations of the different kinds of cats. We can’t remember the author, illustrator, or the title, so this might be a challenge for you.

358K: Modern Conservationist Noah’s Ark

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Looking for a book I read in elementary school in the mid 1970s.

Here’s what I can recall about it:

It was a modern updating about a “Noah’s Ark.” Not religious undertones, more of a (early) conservationist perspective about animals. About a man who as a way of saving animals collects animals. (I can picture him faintly, brownish hair with glasses.)

It was a picture book (although not simplistic pictures). For example, the schematic on the boat itself was detailed.

The main character build a modern boat (think a big cruise ship) to house the animals. And thereby “saves” a collection of species.

I know it’s not much. I’ve often recalled the book (I used to check it out continuously).

Let me know if you need any clarifications or if I can answer more questions.

358G: Children’s Book with Elevator

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I have been searching google all day with no luck even finding the right title to this book.
I would imagine it was published sometime between 1990 and 1998. I am almost 34 (born in 1987) and loved this book as a child.
This book was shaped like a sky scraper – not a usual rectangle! It was a hardcover and all the pages were also board book material. I don’t recall any words or an actual story — just illustrations.
A track ran through the center of the book with a small plastic square that was an elevator you could move up and down the length of the book. The illustrations inside were the many floors of the building carved up into various different shops and businesses. For hours I would pretend to ride the elevator around running errands in the book.
It’s driving me nuts knowing this book existed (my brother remembers it too) but not being able to find anything even remotely like it after hours of searching online. I now have a daughter who I know would enjoy it just as much if I could find a copy. Although honestly just knowing the title and being able to see pictures of it would suffice!

358B: Boy Loses the Smallest Nesting Doll

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Looking for a children’s book about a boy who snuck and took a nesting doll. While he was sitting on the curb he dropped the smallest nesting doll in the storm drain. I believe he took the doll in a lunchbox? Maybe tried to go to show and tell? He had to tell his mom he lost the doll. My mom read it to me in the 80’s when I was little.

357U: Children’s Book with Blue Shoe or Boot on Cover

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Looking for a vintage children’s book that has a blue shoe or boot on the cover.  The story is based on the “There Was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe” nursery rhyme.  However, in this version the woman is nice and gives the children supper stew, not broth without bread.  It was published before 1980 but the exact date is unknown.  Please help identify this book!  Thanks!

357J: Marshmallow fluff and peanut butter sandwiches and mom’s note (Solved!)

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Early 90s children’s book. Book about children making marshmallow fluff and peanut butter sandwiches. They make a mess and find their mom’s note that says where she has gone to. The note has fluff all over it and they are only able to see a few letters. They go about trying to decode the note, imagining all the places she could be. Finally, it ends that it says she went to the pet store and comes back with a dog!

357B: A Rural Cat’s Life

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It was published sometime before 1991.

It was the story of a cat's life, I think it was living on a farm, or generally somewhere rural. It starts when the cat was a kitten and ends when the cat is old. The book had large pages, probably 12"+ tall. The pages were mostly taken up by large drawings done in just black and white lines, like a comic book.  I think there were brief sentences at the bottom of the page, captions for the drawings.

356Z: Elephant Picture Book

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Trying to find an old picture book about elephants. Pre-1980 probably. At least definitely pre-1985. The main thing I remember is it’s extremely sad. I think it has watercolor illustrations. And it’s about how elephants bury their dead and (I think) always remember where they are buried and even go back to visit.
I remember it as a story, but it’s so sad, I suppose it could have also been a non fiction picture book.
If you have any thoughts on what it might be, would love to hear.