I’m looking for a children’s story about a princess who couldn’t clap, which embarrassed her family when they went to the opera. At the end of the story, she’s given a pair of gloves that button together at the wrists, so she can enjoy the opera with everyone else. I think there was a mention of something called “jumble mints” or “jumble sweets". It was probably part of a children’s anthology I had in the late 80’s and early 90’s. I’ve been searching for years; nobody in my family remembers this story and I’d be so thrilled to find it!
Category Archives: Unsolved
334I: Magical Animal Speak Decoder Ring
I’m trying to remember a book I read around 1962 - 1965. It was about a boy and girl who somehow get a magic ring and when they put it on, they can understand what the animals around them are saying. I just loved it and took it out of the school library again and again until my teacher asked me “wouldn’t you like to read something different?” I’ve been doing engine searches for a long time now and I can’t seem to find it. I think it was called either The Magic Ring or The Golden Ring and it wasn’t a Raggedy Ann/Andy book. It was cloth-bound and green … I think. I’m sure that last point is most valuable to you. If you could help me that would be wonderful.
334H: Colorful Shoes With Special Powers
My brothers and I are trying to find a book from when we were kids. It is about a group of kids who find shoes. They bring them to their tree-house and each box of shoes is a different color. The shoes give them special powers, I think the red ones made you fast. I think one pair gave the wearer the ability to jump really high. We have looked online with no success.
334G: Boys Recover Sunk Sailboat
I am looking for a YA or children’s book from 40's era. Two boys find a sailboat which has sunk next to a dock. They somehow recover the old boat and rebuild it. This is a book my 84 year old dad read and loved as a child.
334F: Kid Draws Door That Enters Into Fantasy World
Seeking a children’s book in which a child draws a door on the back of his closet with chalk. He knocks on the door during the middle of the night, which opens into a fantasy world. He may have to contend with a beast at some point.
334D: Broken Lamb Ornament Restored
in the early 90's I received what I believe was a children's book of short Christmas stories. In particular, one was about a lamb Christmas tree ornament. I believe it was broken and then restored.
334C: War of the Seasons, as the Seasons Pass
Hello, I hope you can help me find this book for my dad! The book is a picture book (which my parents gave me) for children and is about the passing of the seasons, especially winter and summer. I do not remember much text, there may not have been any. The drawings are page size (the book was hardcover and large) and beautifully drawn and very detailed, some with a view of what happens on the surface as well as underground. The drawings show the retreating winter in spring, and the advancing winter in the autumn. Winter and summer are represented by large armies of creatures (dwarfs?) and animals battling each other. I vividly remember a (cute) rodent pulling a sort of oversized triangular spiral drill (with a handle) in a tunnel. A large tree behind which armies gather. The summer army bombards the winter one with some objects (flowers?). The images are very natural, no machines. It is not a violent battle, more symbolic, there were flowers, nuts, trees. In the spring, winter is retreating, and in the autumn summer is on the back-foot. The scenes were spring-like and autumn-like respectively, with the parts of the scenery representing summer and on which the summer army was gathered being more lush than the parts representing winter, which were more harsh. I cannot recall a plot or story line other than this recurrent passing of the seasons. I do not remember a protagonist, there may not have been one. I do not think there were many pages, perhaps a dozen or so. I read the book in the mid to late eighties in Germany. There may have been two editions, one in German and the other one in English. The book may have come to Germany from the UK/Ireland. I have reasons to believe that the original was in English. It somehow was a very special book, to me anyhow. Thank you for your help!
333X: SciFi Plot Fragment – Tacretude, species on the run from galactic gene police
333W: A Ducky Fairy Tale
Looking for a fairy tale that was last read in the 1960's, story of a duck who goes to the north, south, east, and west winds and pleads for them not to freeze his pond for the winter. The duck swims and swims to keep his pond from freezing, not sure how the tale ends. It was in a collection of Scandinavian fairy tales.
