Category Archives: Solved

355M: Messy kid, their stuff gets fed up and leaves (Solved!)

I am looking for a children’s picture book I remember about a kid (can’t remember if male or female) who was so messy that all his stuff got up and left. I believe his toys left. His bed was tired of being unmade, so it walked out. I think eventually the whole house left. That’s about all I remember!

It was likely around in the 1980s or perhaps 1990s in the US. I hope you can help me, it’s driving me nuts! Thank you!

355H: YA book with puffins and an island (Solved!)

I read a book in the late 70s or early 80s.  I think it was a 60s/early 70s book, but that’s little more than a guess.
A few years later a children’s section librarian helped me find the book again and she knew exactly what I was talking about.  Whether that speaks to the popularity of the book, or the quality of the librarian I don’t know.  🙂
The story is a number of children having adventures on an island while their parents are busy.  Researchers I think?
Puffins are involved somehow, and I THINK that is part of the name, although whether it’s the name of the book or the island I’m not sure.
They get to the island via seaplane and I think there was a seaplane on the cover.
There were at least 2 books, maybe more.
Not much, I know.  🙂
It’s funny how strong the memory of loving the book is, yet so few details remain.

355F: Looking for old children’s chapter book about a squirrel (Solved!)

When I was a child, this would have been sometime between 1990-1995, I borrowed a fiction chapter book twice from my local library that I cannot remember the title of. At the time, the book was old, but I was a kid so it may not have been THAT old. I think it may have been written sometime around the 1950s-70s. It was a story about a boy who takes care of a squirrel. I think that there was a red squirrel on the cover, and the title of the book may have been the name of the squirrel but I’m not certain. I think the book had a bittersweet ending with the squirrel going back to live in the wild. I’ve not been able to find it on a google search so perhaps you can help!

355E: Young Boy Begins Broadcasting Career (Solved!)

One of my favorite children’s books, from the late 1950’s or early 60’s.
I thought that the title was “T.V.Jones” … but the only thing I found was a 60’s cartoon by that name.
This was the story of a young boy who gets a job in a Television station … and his beginning a career in broadcasting.
Certainly not a big seller, and not really well written … but it spoke to me as a young boy,  and it started my interest in communications.

355C: Silly Goose Forgets to Invite Friends to Party (Solved!)

I’m delighted by this site and have a book that I’d enjoy seeing again. When I was in kindergarten in 1955, my favorite story was of a goose who decides to have a party for her friends. She cleans her house, and cooks and bakes up a storm. But no one shows up! Then she hears her friends chattering outside at the bus stop and learns that she forgot to invite them. They come in and enjoy her feast, so all ends well.

Obviously, this was a long time ago, so I don’t remember the name. Any one have a clue?

355A: Orphan Girl Has Pick of Families (Solved!)

An older orphan girl gets lucky and gets to stay with a few families over summer break. On her first train ride a nice gentlemen buys her an orange. He never eats his and  gives it to her before he gets off.
She stays with an older woman and has a lovely time. At the end of summer all of the families she stays with want to adopt her she chooses the older woman.  She thinks herself simple and not that pretty.

354Y: Elephant Overcomes Fear of Dark with Favorite Quilt (Solved!)

My stumper is a book about a little elephant going to bed, but she is afraid of the dark and can’t sleep until her mom brings her favorite quilt. I remember it having a lot of purple, lavender, and soft yellow. It would have been in the early 90s that we repeatedly checked this out from the library. My sister and I have searched off and on since high school for this book but neither of us remember the title or author!

354W: Eating sugar on snow (Solved!)

I’m looking for a book that I thought was written and illustrated by Tasha Tudor, and that I thought was called The Four Seasons. After much googling, I now doubt both author/illustrator and title.
Pale yellow cover, vertical orientation.
Published before 1985.
At the end of the book, the children eat sugar on snow.
Neither A Time to Keep nor Around the Year looks like my book.
Thank you for your help!