My parents read this book to me in the early- to mid-1970s. It was probably published around then, though earlier is also possible. It was a children’s picture book, fiction, and I remember that it had something to do with cream puffs. Not sure if cream puffs were in the title or not. To be honest, although to me cream puffs were very important to the book, I also wonder if that was just what my child-brain clung to. Thank you!
Category Archives: Status
323X: Suspected Witch Is Really The Hexed One
I am looking for a children’s chapter book from the late 70s or early 80’s. It was about a girl who gets sent to stay with a strange lady. The girl thinks she is a witch, but it turns out some other lady is jealous of her and was placing spells on her. I remember a scary scene when the girl is forced to drive the car to save her but the evil woman is in the back seat…
323W: Small White Teddy Bear Looking For A Home
I am looking for a book that I read in the mid 80s to early 90s. It is a book about a tiny white teddy bear who is lost and/or looking for a home. There are scenes of him wandering throughout a field. They also have him staged in a birdhouse…perhaps a dollhouse. This book is not illustrated. It is a series of photographs of a tiny white teddy bear staged in different locations. One of the locations is a birdhouse or dollhouse, one of the locations is a field. I don’t remember anything else. I submitted a query nearly 10 years ago, now 🙁 I’ve been looking since! Thank you
323V: Young Animal Finds That Pink Snow Is Just Snow
323U: Bear On Vacation Takes Unskillful Pictures
Seeking information on a children’s book about a bear (?)/character going sightseeing in London, but takes pictures crooked, with thumb in them, etc. but doesn’t see until developed. But also got a pack of postcards that has the actual pictures, so he has those as memories. Possibly could have a Double-Decker bus on the cover.
323T: Wise Dad Comforts Heartbroken Girl Who Was Denied Doll
I’m looking for a children’s book. I think the title may be “The Pinks” but I don’t know the author. It’s about a girl who is saving money for a doll in a store window. Before she can buy the doll, a rich girl from her school buys her. The girl is heartbroken and her dad says some wise things. The dad is a truck driver and he likes music. He says something like “strife makes good art”. The book was probably written in the late 90’s or early 2000’s.
Thank you for your help!
323S: Reviled Colorful New Neighbor Saves Family From Fire
I’ve tried to track down this book periodically over the past few years with no success. I can’t remember the title or author at all. I don’t know when it was published, but I would have read this in the early 90s—and I don’t remember it seeming physically like an old book. I’m not sure if I can’t find it because it’s rare (hopefully not!), or if I’m just not using the right search terms. Maybe you can help! Here’s what I remember:
It’s a richly illustrated picture book about a quirky, flamboyant man (I’m pretty sure he wears a top hat?) who moves into a drab, stuffy neighborhood where he is ostracized by the uptight parents in the community. The illustrations are somewhat stylized (maybe — but not definitely — collage). One day, neighborhood children, who have been warned by their parents to stay away from this oddball, accidentally break his window with a baseball. (Or maybe they just hit it into is yard… I can’t quite remember.) In any case, when they go to retrieve their ball they discover this guy to be incredibly kind and welcoming. I think he gives them some pink lemonade.
The children, their parents, their houses, and the neighborhood in general are rendered in black and white, but the inside of the stranger’s house is bright and colorful. I can’t remember exactly what happens next, but I think the kids and the man become friends. When the parents find out, they are furious and forbid the children from hanging out with the man, which breaks his heart. I think the inside of his house turns black and white at that point.
But one night, the “ringleader” parent’s house catches on fire, and the strange man saves the family. I think I remember a page where the text is stylized to look like smoke. And I remember an illustration of the family members jumping from the window into a tarp held by firefighters (or maybe townspeople.) This leads the community to accept the strange newcomer, and the entire town bursts into color.
For whatever reason, I cannot figure out what this book is. And it is driving me crazy! If any of this rings a bell, I’d be thrilled. Sincerest apologies for all the vague rambling. And thank you!
323R: Teen Girl Loves Horse But Cannot Ride After Accident
Ya fiction series with a horse, rich girl has an accident and can't ride. Her rich grandmother buys her a brand new Datsun (car), so she's at least 16 or 17, set in the 70s or 80s, published during that period. I think she was nasty to a few girls and tries to make up for it after the accident. I think she may have been in a coma. Her boyfriend might have cheated as well. I think it had a yellow cover with the old style oval centre that contained the image. I think she had a rich sounding name, Courtney or something but I'm not 100% on that. The horse accident was bad and she desperately loved her horse but was too afraid to ride it. I read this series in the late 80s, early 90s, but my sister threw them out before I could finish them. I never forgave my sister, who dares throw out a book? The books were paperback, they had maybe 100 to 150 pages, so not very thick. From the content, I think they were targeted towards ages 16 and up. I think the girl went to college as well. Her grandmother was some type of business woman.
