Category Archives: Picture Book

227B: The creatures that did not make it onto the ark

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I’m looking for an illustrated book, vertical format, that featured all the strange, bizarre, mythical creatures that did not make it onto the ark. There was a looming storm approaching and many of the illustrations show the rising water level of the approaching flood. The artwork was very dark, surreal, and nightmarish, in an unusual style similar to Hieronymus Bosch paintings.

Each page had a different creature and I can remember just a few of them:

ā€¢ One was two-headed, and for each head was a gun. The two gun-heads were pointed at each other.
ā€¢ A creature had a body of a glass bottle with long arms and webbed fingers, swimming in the water.
ā€¢ A creature that had a paddle or oar for a head.

I don’t recall an explicit connection to the story of Noah’s Ark, but instead maybe just a subtle connection.

Hope this rings a bell!

226J: Robots in a new town

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Robot family moves to a human town – this picture book may be a metaphor for racism. The book is about a family of make-shift robots (I’m not sure if they were actually robots, but they were made out of metal parts and somebody’s arm may have been a broom). The family has a mom, dad, children, and maybe a pet. They move to a new town and are very excited at first, but then their human neighbors and classmates are hesitant to befriend them because they are different. Eventually, people begin to appreciate their unique qualities, and they make friends and settle in. I think this picture book is relatively new – it was the favorite book of a girl that I babysat around 2005. I think it’s appropriate for kids age 6-10, but I also loved it. It was somewhat large and may have had a pale yellow cover, but I forget. I’d really appreciate any help in finding it!

226A: Picture book of toys

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It is a children’s hard page book. I had it in 1987. The lines that I can remember are:
Look at all of baby’s toys!
Big ones and little ones
Shiny toys and cuddly toys
Some to push and some to pull
Toot Toot! Here comes the truck.
Choo choo! Here comes the train
Ok – that’s all I got. šŸ™‚ I know this is a long shot. It was my daughter’s favorite book – and she just had my first granddaughter. It would be such a great treat if I could find this book!
Thank you!

225C: A snail called Selina

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Picture book. Featuring a snail called Selina (sp?). Was beloved by my grandpa when he was a child – he was born in the late 1930s. He recalls the illustrations as fantastic. Unsure of title or author. Possibly an Australian title. Google searches haven’t turned anything up. Look forward to hearing from you. Can contact me at moo_haha@hotmail.com.

Regards, Sharni

225B: Unicorn picture book, black and white drawings, no text (Solved)

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Unicorn picture book, black and white drawings, no text
My kindergarten library had this book in 1985, and it did not look new. It was a red hardcover that was much thicker than other children’s books. I think the title included the word “horse” or “unicorn.” The story was about a little girl who finds and then hides a white long-legged foal that develops wings and a horn, but there was no text; the entire story was told in detail with lovely black and white pencil or charcoal illustrations. I remember it being relatively sad, with the unicorn flying away/escaping in the end.

I wish I remembered more! I’ve checked my kindergarten’s digital library catalog with no success, as well as other online catalogs, but there are so many unicorn and horse books out there!

Thank you!

224C: Sullen Hedgehog

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I am trying to find a kids book I used to read to my kids when they were young (15 years ago.. omg). I can’t remember the title, or the author, and all my searching and asking has led me nowhere. So I will ask here just on the outside chance someone knows.

It is the story of a Hedgehog that has awoken in string and is in a bad mood, he goes around talking to all the forest animals before finally feeling better. The refrain he says is “I am a prickly hedgehog, i have just awoken from a long sleep. I am sullen, angry, mean, and moody. Woe betide those who cross my path”
Any help here?

223A: Poem about girl eating her first peach (Solved)

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This was a book I had when I was very young. The illustrations had children dressed in early 1900 clothing and it may have been published in that time frame. It was a compilation of stories and poems. One poem was about a little girl eating her first peach. I do remember a line from that poem “I’ve eaten it cloth and all Mama but what shall I do with the bone?” She was referring to the peach pit. Another story in the book was about a little girl who was picking blackberries and could not reach the best ones high in the branches. A gentlemen offers to bend over leaning, on his walking stick and let her stand on his back to reach the berries and she refuses saying she would be to heavy etc. The young man remarks that it would be rude to refuse a kindness and the little girl accepts his offer. There was a picture of this scene in the book of the little girl standing on his back and picking the berries.

221C: Hyppo the Hippo

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The book I am seeking was called Hyppo the Hippo. I’m not even sure how it was spelled. We pronounced it with a long I – Hypo?. It was a book very like the Barbar books in shape and had colored illustrations of hippos in human clothes. The baby hippo was left on a doorstep in a wicker wash basket. I imagine it was published in the 40’s