Category Archives: Picture Book

344O: Children’s picture book about girl who dances with shadows

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Looking for a children’s picture book about a girl who lives in a village (likely indigenous, maybe based on cliff dwellers?). The villagers see scary shadows on the walls of the cliff they live at the bottom of and thinks they are monsters. Eventually the girl climbs to the top of the cliff (maybe with a grass? ladder) and discovers that the shadows weren’t monsters, but friendly (people or animals, can’t remember.) I read this book as a kid around 2000, my grandparents had bought it, so likely published between like 1990 and early 2000s. They’d traveled to Australia and American Southwest, and I think book was purchased one of those places. It was a hardcover with full color illustrations. Tried googling key words but can’t find it so far, help!

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!

344E: Childhood Picture Book about Boy in Forest

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There is a book that absolutely transported me as a child. It was in the late 90’s that I read it (’97-’99). It was a picture book about a boy that enters a deep dark forest and encounters strange creatures in the trees. It was a rather eerie book and left me with a sense of mystery and awe. My friend from a conservative family read it too and he said it was demonic, if that tells you anything hahah! So it definitely had a dark, ominous tone. I don’t recall anything else, except that it had a lot of dark green.

Thanks so much for your help! I have been searching for this book my entire adult life. It would mean the world to me if you found it.

343S: Little kid’s picture book, about girl and castle, possibly and her family and I think animals

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I cannot remember a lot about this book, but I know that the main “character” is a girl (it’s a short, mainly picture book) and I think she has a family too, like brothers. And I think they may live in a castle, surrounded by a moat. I seem to think there’s something to do with animals as well, whether they go to the zoo or have animals. I also vaguely might think there’s something to do with flying or a flying car/some type of vehicle/plane thing, but that could be wrong. Please help!!!!

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!

343C: Picture Book Where Girl builds a Necklace from Natural Objects (It’s in a Foreign Language but perhaps an English version Exists)

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I’m fairly certain the illustrations are collage from painted paper, but it may just be a painting. The girl has either red hair or brown hair, she is naked. She is making a necklace with different items. She gets a gemstone or crystal in a cave. I believe she also collects a pebble, seashell and acorn but I’m not certain on those. I do not know what language the writing is in. I think it was likely German but maybe Swedish or Norwegian something Slavic or Germanic. I think that maybe fairies or gnomes give her the gemstone but that may be just something we made up since we didn’t speak the language. The things I’m certain of are is she goes into a cave, she is naked at least at some point and she is making a necklace.

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.

342Q: Vintage Picture Book Featuring the Ocean

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Vintage Picture Book (from 50s, 60’s, or 70s), not very thick, stapled, maybe 10 – 12 pages, not a lot of printed text. Watercolor, realistic illustrations

What I remember about the story: A boy spends a lot of time snorkeling, he sees all kinds of fish and turtles, and he finds a shipwreck and a shark shows up (scary) but he escapes and finds a treasure.

I remember the following illustrations:

  1. Sea stars on a sandy ocean floor, the sunlight is shining through the water onto the ocean floor
  2. A sea turtle swims and again the sunlight coming through the water
  3. A two page illustration showing the boy on the left top looking down on the shipwreck, again the light plays through the water

The illustrations were realistic and what stood out was the light portrayed underwater.