Picture book I read as a child in the mid to late 1970s: A boy is challenged to eat an enormous mound of mashed potatoes. At first he thinks it is impossible. But with a small spoon, just one little bite at a time, he completes his task.
Children’s book, fiction. Hardback full illustration with words. I saw this book at library 3+ years ago. My daughter was attracted by the cover and took it out to read. There was a little girl who saw something in a store window (hat, but maybe purse, dress, doll, jewelry item?). Girl thought it was beautiful and really wanted it. One day snooty girl she didn’t like was looking through the shop window at the item, as well, and the poor girl was trying to figure out how get the item but the snooty girl bought it first. The little girl who wanted it was very upset, and ended up getting wise advice from a parent or grandparent (can’t remember) who comforted her. My daughter was so sad she didn’t get the item, that we put the book away. Now I’m sorry! What a lesson in coping with these moments when we realize we can’t have it all!
The children’s book I’m looking for was read to me in the late 60’s early 70s. It was about a dalmatian who wanted to be a fire dog but had no spots. Thanks.
A young, shy, and lonely girl visits her (aunt, grandmother, ?) for the summer. She cuts her long hair, referred to as “her glory,” that her mother refused to let her cut. After she cuts her hair, she experiences a “freeing” self confidence boost. I read this probably in the late 60s to 70s.
My stumper is a picture book that would have been in print by 1990. It was about interesting machines that did odd things. They also had very interesting and hard to pronounce names. At some point in the book there were earrings that were fans, and square peas that would keep them from rolling off the table.
I remember two books of short stories, a part one and two though I cannot remember any part of the titles. They were hardcover and fairly large, the spines were at least half an inch thick. One was blue and one was yellow, and the books were illustrated in color. The biggest problem I have had in searching for them is that the stories I remember are not ones I have heard anywhere else. It is very possible that they contain well know stories as well, but I cannot be sure. One story has some humble person who needs something from a kingly man. The man likes riddles and makes a riddle something like, you must come back here not on foot or on horseback, not clothed but not naked, and not empty handed or with a gift. A little girl (his daughter I believe) solves this riddle by coming back riding a hare, wearing a fishing net, and holding a bird. I remember a picture of that scene. I think it was actually a second riddle, I don’t remember the first part. Another story I remember less of has a misbehaving boy who takes a deep breath through his mouth and inhales a tiny man (or two possibly). The man or creature talks to him and I cannot remember if he was good or bad but the boy stops misbehaving (possibly yelling too much) in the end.
I cannot remember anything else at the moment. but hopefully you all will have more luck that I have so far.
Thank you!
No author that I recall. It was a small [~3-4″ by ~6-7″] hardback book with glossy color cover. A leaf-green border and white center background with a red ball [it might have had a yellow stripe around it].
The first line on the first page is: “The ball lay on the ground wanting to be thrown.” It is the tale of the adventure of this ball being tossed from place to place by random individuals. Not more than 20 pages total, probably less. It ended on the last page with: ” … wanting to be thrown again … ”
I thought it was from Germany; my husband thought it was from France. But neither of us recalls ever actually reading the publication/copyright page.
We bought it in a little boutique toy store [long gone] in Pasadena in the mid to late 80s.
I wish I had more details. It disappeared from my goddaughter’s room, and was never found. I have a new grandson, and would love to find it for him.
I am trying to remember the title of a children’s book i read in the early 1990s. It was a short paperback chapter book. The story was about 2 brothers (they may or may not have been truly biological brothers) and they were opposite and did not get along. One was very athletic and the other was nerdy and more brainy. They go on a summer vacation together (grudgingly) to the East coast. I want to say the Maritimes? Somewhere with very high tides. Anyway they go exploring some caves together, but time passes faster than they expected, the tide rises and they are trapped in this cave together. But they find some magical way into a fantasy world. And there are dragons and magic. And the nerdy brother is the one who is more clever and able in this world than the jock brother. And there is a part where i think they have a riddle contest with a Dragon and the nerdy brother outsmarts the dragon. The brothers become friends in the end.
I want to say this book was set in the 1950s – I read it as a child in the 1970s – part of the collection of young adult books at the Jonesboro Library in Jonesboro, AR.
It was about a young teen girl who was plump and had some skin problems. She had an older sister who was slender. I remember one specific scene – the younger girl was eating a tuna salad sandwich for lunch and her sister told her she shouldn’t eat that because it was bad for her skin. She was going to do her usual sneering retort, but instead she asked her sister what she should eat instead – what she was having? The younger sister started paying more attention to her appearance. She met a boy who was new in town – her parents invited his parents over for dinner (I think they worked together). She put on too much of her sister’s makeup and borrowed heels and made a grand entrance to the dinner. Her parents were horrified and sent her back upstairs to change, so she was humiliated. The boy actually did like her already, but she didn’t have any self-confidence. Over the summer she started eating better and slimmed up. She eventually ended up with the boy who said he’d liked her all along.
I’m looking for a collection of short stories, possibly by Saul Bellow.
The book may have chapter headings which are names of Bible books, such as Job, Exodus, Psalms, etc). The collection may include a humorous story about a man on a ledge, ready to jump, but he keeps moving, and so do the well-meaning people down below who are ready to catch and help him.