Children’s book published I believe in the late 80s early to mid 90s. It was a large paperback picture book. The illustrations were incredibly complex and rich and painterly. It was based in the woods and the surrounding areas. And was I think, through the perspective of a little creature like a mouse. Everything was small but five perspective looked big if that makes sense. So like a little beetle would be the size of a dog kind of thing. There was a scene in a clearing in the woods. There was a little house on a tiny pond with a boat that went to it. And there was a scene in a meadow at night. Each scene would cover the entire two pages that you saw. And for every scene there would be a key off to the side with a list of all of the items that you were supposed to help the main character find. They would have magical properties but they were all things that existed in real nature like deadly nightshade, cobwebs ( not all like scary stuff but those are the two things I can’t remember).
illustrations were super intricate and all of the little items were hidden but not like hidden blueberry was a dogs eye or something, hidden in this really great way that seemed very real and also very hard to find the item so it was actually challenging to search which made it so fun. It was absolutely beautiful and so immersive for a little person’s imagination.
Tag Archives: animals
368I: Mortimer Moose book & puppet
I am looking for a children’s book from sometime before the late 90s. It was used in elementary school classes but may have been available through stores also.
The book was about a moose named Mortimer and the company also had a Mortimer hand puppet for the teacher to use while reading the book.
367E: Children’s book, dispute over bag, magical claims but ultimately not magic
From what I remember of this children’s book, there are people disputing over a small bag and someone asked them to describe what is in the bag to prove ownership. Fantastical claims are made of what’s in the bag, I believe they say animals are even in the bag, things that couldn’t possibly fit in a bag unless it was magic. In the end, the bag is not filled with any of these items. If I remember correctly, it is filled with fruit peels and seeds? Or something similar. I believe it’s set in the Middle East but I can’t fully remember. This is a book I thought about many times over the years since reading in the late 90s as a child but I’m not even sure I remember it correctly. I’m hoping someone can point me in the right direction.
367B: Animal Shelter Book
Looking for 70’s Scholastic (?)? paperback. A dad is forced to take a job at a kill shelter, needs the money. The kids find homes for animals, and they shut down the cremation building where smoke billows out In a country type place. They are happy. Maybe 2-3 grade level book. Approx year read ‘76 but could be classroom book and older.
366Y: Ricky the Rooster (we think)
In the 1960’s, my mom used to read the book about Ricky the Rooster who was very proud of his brightly colored feathers and pushed the other animals out of the way to eat their food. He grew so fat that all his beautiful plumage fell out and he was disgraced. He learned to let the other animals eat first before he did. His tail feathers grew back without the extra colorful splendor.
My mom is 91 and remembers the story well. She is about to get her first great grandchild and would like to find a copy of the book. I haven’t found one but any leads would be great.
365T: The Pink and Spotted Rhino
Looking for a book where a little rhino finds a wishing pond and turns pink and spotted.
365I: Zoologist Couple Explore Animals With Son and Daughter
My fourth grade teacher (in about 1971) read to our class a book about a zoologist couple and their two children (a boy and a girl) who went on an expedition together as a family to the Amazon jungle to discover animals. I think for a zoo, but maybe not. Each chapter was about a search for a different kind of animal (like an armadillo) describing its nature and its habits. The children had some thrilling adventures – for example, with a jaguar – from which they were rescued by their parents. It was a series because I remember that there was another book where they went to Africa.
362T: Colt Comes Across Forest Band
I am trying to find a book my mom had as a girl in the 40s or 50s. I thought the name of it was Giddy-Yappy but nothing is coming up. It was about a little colt learning to walk or maybe loving to run and he meets up with a bunch of little insects and forest creatures who have a band (or maybe just a party?)
362S: Animals scared of snowman until he melts
I read a picture book back in the early to mid 1980s that dealt with a bunch of animals who notice that someone built a snowman in a field. The rabbits and other animals are all terrified of the snowman until he begins to melt. Once he begins to melt they all relax and the rabbits eat his nose I think.
362P: Pets Hold Surprise Birthday Party for Woman (Solved!)
I have been looking for a book that was very important to me as a child that I lent to a friend and never was returned. It was about an older woman who lived alone with her pets , basically a picture book, the cover was a nighttime picture I believe of her house from a distance , as she was coming home to her animals , who had made her a birthday party to surprise her. It may have been called something like ‘the birthday party’, but I completely forget. I have been looking for many years for this book. No hits wherever I have searched, have tried all titles I could think of. Anyone? Probably 1950s.