Category Archives: Picture Book

248F: Door in a tree with stairs leading down underground

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This is just a fragment! But if you could help me I would so appreciate it.
I grew up in Australia in the 1960s-1970s, and was obsessed with a picture book that featured the main character finding a tree with a small door at its base. The tree had gnarled/ exaggerated roots. The character went through the door and down a flight of stone stairs into what I remember to be a kitchen/witch’s den, lit up with yellows and oranges from an open fire. I cannot remember what happened next – but obviously it is terribly important if I keep searching for this book! 🙂
It is not the Berenstain’s Scary Tree story although slightly familiar in concept.

Thanks so much
Julia

248A: Woodland Creatures’ Christmas

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I am looking for a book that was given to my brother in the late 70’s possibly very early 80’s. It was a beautifully illustrated children’s book, similar to Jan Brett. Woodland creatures in a snowy forest, including a hedgehog or porcupine, celebrating Christmas. The end of the book has them finding a candle lit carousel in the woods. Those are the only details that I remember! Have been looking for this book for a long time!
Thank you!

247C: A tiny dwarf/gnome who wears a gold ring as a belt (Solved!)

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My sister remembers this from our school library when she was little.  She would have seen this between ~1976-1986.  It was illustrated, a book intended for 10-and-under children.

She remembers there was a character who was very small, a dwarf of gnome-like creature who wore a gold ring intended for a human, as a a belt. I’d love to find it for her and her kids!

246H: Space, stars and a floating girl all in white (Solved)

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It is a children’s book that I only remember the cover of. It had a blue/black background and believed to be out in space with stars. It features a group of people and one of the cartoon girls was really pretty and floating above the people was an all white girl essentially bending around them. One girl was not attractive wearing possibly a rainbow colored dress. The group of people may have been standing on a planet.

246D: Two jaunty fellows

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I read this children’s book in 1977. It was about two men (I think they have beards and old fashioned clothing) that drive around the countryside in a locomotive that has a miniature Victorian Queen Anne style house on the top of it. The book is illustrated with black ink line drawings. At one point the two men “save” a woman tied to railroad tracks who looks about to be run over by a train, only to find out that they ruined a flat set-piece train because the woman is an actress and was filming a Western.

I hope you can help! I would like to find the book and get a copy to read to my two year old twin boys.

Thanks, Austin

246B: An award winner with a Polynesian theme

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Searching for a children’s book printed no later than the 1990s. The cover featured an illustration of a Hawaiian girl in the foreground, with a volcano in the background. I think the book title may have included a Hawaiian girl’s name, but I’m not sure about that. I believe it had received an award; I think there was a gold seal featured on the cover as well. Hope you can help identify the book title and author!!!

245A: What’s a Waney

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I’m looking for a children’s picture book that we read around the late 80s or early 90s, although it may have been published earlier. A child looks for his/her lost sibling (Wayne or Wanie, or Waney?) on a farm and maybe in other locations. I specifically remember one part where he goes into a chicken house asking if they’ve seen Wayne, and the chickens ask “What’s a waney??” I’ve googled every variation on those words/spellings but can’t find anything! I think I remember full color illustrations, but my mom thinks they may have been line drawings.

244E: A family journeys home (Solved)

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I’m looking for a children’s book that was primarily illustrations, but had some text as well. I remember the title as “The Drive Home” or “The Journey Home” or something of the sort, but Google isn’t particularly helpful for those queries. The story was about a family traveling home after going some place – I don’t recall if they were visiting family or what, but they began in the countryside and gradually passed through the city as they got closer to their home.

I remember one of the scenes being them going past a wedding, and another where they passed a strawberry field. (One of the kids asks if they can pick strawberries and the parent says “Maybe another time.”) I believe they also passed a party or festival in the city at one point, and the story concludes with one of the parents saying something along the lines of “It’s been a good drive home.”

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.

244C: Richard Scarry-ish Book from mid-80s

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I’ve been trying to figure out how to go about locating a book from childhood. It was in the vein of Richard Scarry as far as similar illustrative style though it wasn’t focused on learning individual words. (The age range was basic reading level, thinking somewhere between 5-9?) There were descriptive informative blurbs/individual paragraphs and corresponding artwork. The one illustration I remember in detail pertained to what happens when you cut your finger (or maybe just get a cut anywhere). The red vs white blood cells fighting it out, etc. I vaguely recall it being oversized with a sky blue base color and variously illustrated on the covers. The overall theme seemed to be life/the world/perhaps how things work? I was reading this somewhere between 1986-1990. I fear this is likely not enough information though I appreciate the effort to help solve this book hunt.