I saw the book 1973 – 1977, maybe from 50s or 60s, Oak Hill Elem., Evansville, Indiana.  Children’s book, red cover, mother and little boy in a large city, possibly European, Paris? Rome? London? Went through the day and showed clock time and what they did.

This picture book has a girl recalling something like ” when i was a girl on the island ….” she would ride her bike, play flashlight tag with her friends, pretend to be a ships capt, ect. Last page shows her grown up with her own daughter on the island on a beach or something.

The book had a light blue cloth binding. The plot revolved roughly around a young man who enters a cursed castle. He is invited in by floating ghostly hands. He has to pass a series of challenges, such as pulling yards of beautifully decorated linen through the eye of a needle. Another challenge involved miniature dogs on pillows (I’m not sure what he did with them). It was a very fantastical story. Illustration had bold black lines and solid colors. In the end I believe he marries a princess. 

I’d love it if you can find this book!

It’s a great story. A lady lives alone, doesn’t like to go out much and has a pet cat. Her brother is a traveler and has a great furry hat.  He comes to visit his sister and when he leaves the cat masquerades himself as a hat so that he can have adventures and the lady is more than happy to have such a very mellow cat (the hat!)

Children’s Picture Book Query.  It is a book about a wealthy boy who owns a parrot and teaches it to identify color flash cards.  When the parrot flies away, the boy has his limousine driver take him everywhere to search for the parrot. He finds him when the parrot shouts PURPLE