Category Archives: Unsolved

282D: Hen with a messy house

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Sometime in the 1960’s I read a folk tale about a little hen who’s house was a mess so she never got anything done. She decided to go to the wise man in the next village to ask for advice the next day. When she got up in the morning she couldn’t find her shoes and spent all morning looking for them. When she found them she put them by her bed for the next day, when she would try again. On day two she had her shoes but couldn’t find her skillet to cook breakfast, so she hunted all morning until she found it, then washed it and left it on the stove for the next day…

She finally realizes the solution to her problem and spends the day cleaning her house instead of going to the village.

For some reason this stuck with me as a kid and I’d like to find the story again.

282B: Girl tired of toys

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My friend read this storybook during her childhood in the early 1970s. She remembers it was about a little girl who was tired of her toys and ruins them all. She somehow ends up with either a boy or a bear who becomes her new toy. She forces the boy or bear to do what she wants, including playing maid and brushing her hair. The boy or bear eventually gets tired of this and throws the spoiled girl out in the snow.

Thanks so much! If there is anything else I can provide, do please let me know.

282A: A dollhouse with a little witch living inside

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This is a book that was in the library when I was in grade school so early 90’s. It was already vintage then, probably 70’s-80’s, but I actually have no idea as to the publishing date. It is about a young girl who acquires/has a dollhouse with a little witch living inside who is alive and rides around on her broom. If I remember correctly the house is in the room where she is staying with an old relative. I think someone’s name started with an S, possibly Samantha, but I could be mistaken.

281H: Locomotive explodes when steam valve is blocked!

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I’m trying to track down an illustrated children’s book, here’s what I remember from the story:

– The story is about a steam locomotive operator (a boy or young man)

– At some point, he wants to either eat lunch or take a nap near the train

– However, he is bothered by the noise of the steam coming out of the train

– To solve this, he puts something over the steam valve (I’m pretty sure it’s either a lunch bag or a hat)

– This blocks the steam from escaping from the train and causes it to explode

– I’m pretty sure the book mentions nobody could find him (maybe they find his hat or some article of clothing?)

Thanks!!

281G: Little girl hides her small treasures in a brick of her brownstone

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I am trying to remember/find a book about a little girl who doesn’t have much, except her little treasures.  I think it was a stick of chewing gum, a jack ball, and a few other small items.  She lives in a brownstone and it seems like she hides her treasures behind a brick.  She takes them out and looks at them often.  The front of the cover had her and another person sitting on concrete steps with a railing.  I don’t know if it was a little golden book or not.  It seems like it was about 5X5 square, about 10 pages?  I would have had it read to me around 1970ish.  I can’t remember much else.  I have looked everywhere for it, only being able to search by the memory of the cover.

 

281D: A magical story within a story

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I’m trying to find a book for my partner.  All she could tell me about the book was is the following. There was a story book within the book that people (bad guys) were trying to find, the story within the book would change depending on who read it. Also the main character often went by the alias of Joe English because people were after him and he needed to keep his identity a secret?

I don’t know what my chances are of finding this book but if you have an idea or know what the book is, please help a girl out and let me know!!

281A: Amazingly illustrated pirate story starts with abducted boy

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I have been looking for some time for this illustrated children’s book I read as a child around 1974-77 in Australia. It is the story of a boy playing on an old dinghy on the beach when they are kidnapped by pirates and go on amazing adventures. The boy (or boy and girls) is playing in an upturned dinghy on a beach when he is abducted and taken to the pirate ship, he witnesses pirate battles and then gets included in their adventures. The boy becomes part of the pirates. They may visit the odd strange land or Island (I’m recalling tree houses, maybe African colours themes), they use bell helmets to go under water, they find treasure, they take the boy home.  The most notable thing about the book is the incredible double page illustrations with rich rich detail and colour. The pirate characters are diverse and hilarious creations – themselves a very strong feature of the book. First page might be looking down on the beach from the top of the escarpment at the north end of the beach (if the coast faces East). Next we see him on the beach with the upturned dinghy with a big hole in it. There are loads of crabs and other creatures to see. A few pages later in the battle scene I recall the boy peeks out from below decks – he’s not a pirate yet. In the underwater scene I recall they wear old fashioned bell helmets with air lines leading back up to the ship, and there are many amazing creatures like giant squid/octopus. The treasure scene I recall amazing jewels and one of the pirates has a ring on the end of his beard.

My guess is it’s hardcover.

The illustrations cover double page spreads.

There is minimal text or possibly no text at all.

It’s written in English.

Hopefully you can help.

280G: Learn to tell the time

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The book I am interested in is one I had as a child, I think around 1988-1993 ish. It was a small white hardback cover and came with a watch which you could see in the cover (I’ll attach a picture of what I think it was or was like).

watch

I remember that it was an illustrated book based in castle or palace or similar, the characters were either king, queen, prince, princess, and I remember one page was about them using a sundial to tell the time.

That’s all the information I have on it I’m afraid. I’m from the UK, so I’m not sure if this was also a U.S. issue book or not.