Category Archives: Picture Book

199D: Children’s fairytale/fantasy book with illustrations *possibly* by Paul Klee? (Solved)

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I had a picture book, squarish proportions, about knights who set off on a journey to confront “the wizard Bone,” depicted in the book as a rather dragon-like creature. The art style is VERY reminiscent of Paul Klee paintings during his Bauhaus period – very geometric, abstract; the ‘wizard/dragon’ is sort of like a Pac-Man with sharp teeth – or something like Klee’s ‘Death and Fire’ – the lettering in the book was by hand, with a very stick-figure style almost like Viking runes; flattened picture-plane perspective, etc.

I do seem to remember seeing the word “Klee” on the cover; but given that he died in 1940, if it wasn’t him, it was certainly inspired by his work. Oval eyes like ‘Senecio,’ panels like his ‘Sinbad the Sailor.’ and generally geometric backgrounds like ‘Castle and Sun’.

It seemed to have been published new in the early 1970s, late 1960s maybe.

199C: The Children and the Beached Galleon

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I can’t remember the name of the book or the author. A children’s book with plenty of line drawing illustrations, and featured some children who lived near the sea. One morning they go down to the beach to find that an ancient wrecked galleon has been washed up on shore, which I think they explore ( okay, this was before health and safety concerns! 🙁 Then when they go down to play the next day, there has been another storm and the ship has been washed away again.

199B: Easter Island Childhood (photobook) (Solved)

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I can’t remember the name of the book or the author. Photo book about a indigenous boy who lives on Easter Island, and the book follows his day exploring the island, probably suggested as a `biography’. Emphasis is on big B&W photos. It was a hardback book and I think probably from British/UK publishers. I’d say it was about 12 inches by 10 inches – bigger than normal size. This would have been published in the mid to late 60s or very early 1970s. I remember this from South Africa where I spent part of my childhood.

198H: Black cat escapes from pet carrier

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Late 60’s, early 70’s I want to say. As I remember, it was a black and white picture book about a black cat that gets out of it’s pet carrier(?) an walks through the city. I remember the pictures in this book being high quality black and white photographs. The most I can recall about the “plot” once the cat somehow gets out of it’s carrier it travels through the was once referred to as the “ghetto.” Anyways, it’s a long shot but the book had a huge influence on me about inner-city strife and that we as a people need to try to keep trying to improve everyone’s lot in life. I think this is a great little service you have. Cheers.

198F: Hot air balloon moving book

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Hi! Looking for a childhood book, I grew up in the 80’s. It had a cut out hot air balloon that moved from page to page under flaps and through slots. The premise was children searching for something (a kite I believe?) I remember the hot air balloon cut out being red and yellow striped (and in our familys case very well loved and taped many times). The reader had the balloon follow a dotted path on each page I believe, so that it landed in the right pocket or slot. I dont remember much more, hoping you can help me I’ve been searching for a long time

198E: Picture book 1960s, tic tac toe game

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We borrowed this strange book many times from the library when my sons were small in the late 1960s. It was an American publication, as the creatures played ‘tic tac toe’ which we would call noughts & crosses. Quite a large picture book – little text I think, very detailed soft grey illustrations with small animal characters in greyscale photographic collage on (pencil-drawn?) landscapes. A very peculiar book indeed, dream-like with a minimal plot and not like anything else I’ve ever seen.

198B: Dog saves cat from fire

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My brothers and I are trying to recall the name of a book that we read when we were small in the 1950’s. Of course, we would also like to find a copy of it.
The book was about a dog (perhaps a German Shepherd) and a cat who were “friendly enemies.” My oldest brother thinks the cat might have been named Queenie and she might have had three legs. They lived with a family in a cabin near the woods. The story ends with a big forest fire where the dog, despite the abuse he took from the cat, saved the cat from the fire in an heroic sort of way.
For whatever reason, this story rekindles lots of emotion for us. My oldest brother is going through chemo and I am hoping we can find this story for him.

197D: Mattressland Adventure

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My dad read this book in England in the late 40s or early 50s. It’s about a boy who is sick in the summer and he’s hot in bed (possibly in an attic bedroom). His grandmother keeps piling blankets on to him despite his being too hot. He eventually falls asleep, but when he wakes up, he’s not in his bed. He’s in a world that’s covered in a mattress (i.e. the ground is a mattress). He stabs a knife into the ground and feathers come streaming out. He has adventures in this magical place. My dad is the one who was delivering plot points, and that’s all he can remember about the book. Publication will not be later than the late 1950s.