Category Archives: Picture Book

249D: On the trail of a stolen dog

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This is a book my 84 year old grandma talks about reading as a little girl, in the 4th grade– it would be so special to find it for her! She believes it was a golden book, circa 1940. The book features a man with a red and black plaid shirt that stole a little boys dog. The man denied stealing the dog, but eventually the dog got away from the mean man and made it back home. When he got home, he had a piece of the man’s red and black plaid shirt still caught in his tooth. The little boy and his father then had proof in the piece of cloth and confronted the mean man. Sorry I don’t have more details for you! Let me know if there is more I can do to aid in your search and I will ask my grandmother for further details.
Thanks again for your time and consideration.

249A: A collection of fairy tales with animals

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I’m looking for a particular book of fairy tales. I could swear it was just called “Children’s Book of Fairy Tales”, followed by a sequel “Children’s book of more fairy tales” or something very similar. I’ve tried Googling with quotes and nothing comes up – without quotes I get hundreds of fairy tale books but none the one I’m looking for. Both were hardcover, medium thick. One of the books (I don’t remember if it was the 1st of 2nd – for some reason I think we got the sequel book first as kids) – I seem to remember had a busy cover that wrapped around from front to back, with characters and scenery that covered all over – and I picture mostly a green/blue color, possibly water or leaves (but I could be remembering that wrong). We received the books in the 80s, and they weren’t vintage so I’m guessing they were 80s published, probably mid-late 80s judging by my age. The illustrations, both cover and in the stories (all the stories were heavily illustrated on every page) – was more cartoonish then painting-like. It was not life like, like many of the vintage fairy tales. Oh and I’m pretty sure all the characters were animals. So like cartoon animals as fairy tale characters. I’d say there maybe 20 or so stories in each book. Some of the stories were classic fairy tales but I remember there being a lot I had never heard.

Anyway, it’s driving me crazy because I’ve found many of my favorite childhood books, even obscure ones, but this is alluding me, possibly because there are so many fairy tale collections out there and this wasn’t a classic vintage one (but the best I’ve ever seen!).

Any help would be great!

Thank you!! – Rachel

248K: Boy and chauffeur search for lost cockatoo

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Standard 32 page color children’s book with illustrations. I believe the boy was sickly. One day his cockatoo (or parrot) flew (or was blown?) out the window, and he and his chauffeur or butler drove all around the country looking for the bird. As they went, parts of the body of their car kept falling off, and they kept having to replace the parts with colorful, non-matching parts. Eventually, I think they found the bird.

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