For my friends who kept asking me for a children's book list...
Pete and Johnny to the Rescue Jorgen Clevin 1974 Interactive books are always fun. This one has lots of things to look for and questions to answer as you read along. There's even little stoplights on the pages to remind you to stop and answer the questions! Pete the elephant goes to school while his friend Johnny stays home and takes care of their house on 14 Flower Street. But as soon as school…
A Country Tale Diane Stanley 1985 The best part about this story of two best friends is the detailed illustrations of Victorian cats! Cleo and Lucy are two country cats and the best of friends. They live simply and enjoy climbing Butternut Hill together on fine evenings. Things change when haughty Mrs. Snickers moves into the manor house nearby. Cleo becomes enamored with her fancy way of life and…
Mooch the Messy Marjorie Weinman Sharmat picuters by Ben Shecter 1976 I hate to admit how much I identify with Mooch! He's a messy mouse who tries changing his ways when his father comes to visit. But it's hard when you like everything messy! It's a funny book because instead of being happy that his mouse hole is cleaned up and deciding to keep it that way, Mooch is unhappy and immediately reverts…
I didn't know Feodor Rojankovsky made some deliciously colorful illustrations for this 1945 book about Daniel Boone! Daniel Boone Esther Averill illustrations by Feodor Rojankovsky 1945 Once again such lovely end pages! I would LOVE to have fabric with this pattern!
The House on the Hill Christin Couture 1991 Christin Couture once again taps into childrens' natural curiosity and desire to discover the world around them. Our other book of hers was about a band of kids delving into nature. This one is about an empty old house on the hill just begging to be explored. This could easily be a spooky story, but instead there's a sweetness to how the children wander…
Changes Anthony Browne 1996 A unique approach to the story of a new baby in the family. Anthony Browne uses his surrealist pictures to capture the curiosity and confusion and abstract wonder of the new change that Joseph's father says is coming to their house.
Amelia's Fantastic Flight Rose Bursik 1992 The time has come to sort through and cull our book collection. It's proving harder than I thought as each book triggers memories! It's almost like going back in time and reliving when my kids were little. Even books (like this one) that really aren't exceptional story or picture-wise take me back to when the kids were small and we read aloud a LOT. When…
I found this recently at a flea and was quite smitten! Sea stories and accompanying folklore always draw me in. Blair Lent's illustrations (woodcuts? linocuts?) feel old fashioned but mesmerizing. John Tabor's Ride Blair Lent 1966 John Tabor has been shipwrecked when along comes the most curious character, a man who looks a hundred years old wearing a "greasy wool sweater and a pair of tarred and…
Terry and the Caterpillars Millicent E. Selsam pictures by Arnold Lobel 1962 Since this is the time of year for caterpillar hunting and butterflies, here's an early reader combining a story and nature facts illustrated by one of our favorites, Arnold Lobel. Terry is my kind of girl, curious and loving insects! Even better are her parents who encourage her to keep her caterpillars, finding out how…
Beloved illustrator Tomie dePaola retells and embellishes this northern Italian tale. Per the author's note the story stems from a real Italian mountain village (which dePaola depicts on the title page) where the last three days of January are the coldest of the year. As the story goes, the doves would roost in the chimneys to keep warm and this turned them black. DePaola's retelling also takes…
These kinds of books are always nice to have on hand because the silly little poems make great notes to put in lunches or pockets. And when you're a kid, the sillier the better! Laughing Time William Jay Smith pictures by Fernando Krahn 1980
Here's another version of one of our favorite poems. Illustrated by Paul Galdone , it has a loose, bright comical flair. Here are some other versions we have: Hilary Knight's The Owl and the Pussy-cat Jan Brett's The Owl and the Pussycat Gertrude Elliot's The Owl and the Pussycat The Owl and the Pussycat Edward Lear illustrated by Paul Galdone 1987 I kinda love this shark and rainbow picture!
Miracles on. Maple Hill Virginia Sorensen illustrated by Beth and Joe Krush 1956 This was such a heartwarming book with surprising gravitas. Written in the 1950's, the father in this endearing story is implied to be suffering from PTSD from the war. He's always tired and moody and isn't able to hold down a job. So the family decides to have a change of scene and leaves the city for a rural house…
Album of Dogs Marguerite Henry illustrated by Wesley Dennis 1970 I never knew I was a dog person until we got our golden-doodle Molly! I have always loved Rosie and our past cats, S'more, Gingersnap and Marshmallow (he was the greatest of cats!) and of course Benji our bunny, but there is just something about a dog! This album of dogs has the best pictures and Marguerite Henry (of all those…
O Ye Jigs and Juleps! Virginia Cary Hudson This collection of sweet and humorous stories was written when Virginia Cary Hudson was 10 years old in 1904 and then published in 1962. They are silly and charming and have a hint of Eloise to them. There is some outdated language and sentiments that as a modern reader it's hard not to notice and be sensitive to. But the stories (partly true and…
This is a great series to collect to introduce children to some famous poets. (Edna St.Vincent Millay being one of my favorites!) Poetry for Young People Edna St. Vincent Millay edited by Frances Schoonmaker illustrated by Mike Bryce 1999 Other Poetry for Young People William Carlos Williams
Even Chris was taken with this book and the true story it tells of the ships that were painted with dazzling designs during World War I. It was a crazy idea born out of desperation to stop the deadly German U-boat attacks that were crippling Britain. It's a fascinating story that combines history and art and warfare and ships and gives the reader the desire to learn more. There's a timeline,…
Special Delivery Valjean McLenighan illustrated by Richard Brown 1980 As a child of the 80's, Sesame Street (and the Muppets) were an important part of my little life! These Sesame Street books were published as a whole collection and I remember having them in my elementary school and the church preschool rooms. They're not anything groundbreaking, but the nostalgic pleasure of them can't be…
The graphics in this book are just wonderful! I especially loved the Tokyo page having actually been to that city last summer. Books like this with little tidbits of information are always popular in our house. Cities Manon Bucciarelli translated by Josephine Murray 2025
The New Golden Encyclopedia Dorothy A. Bennet illustrated by Cornelius DeWitt 1964 Cornelius DeWitt illustrations in this vintage Golden Book encyclopedia are just fantastic. This is why I collect vintage picture books! Some of the style reminds me a bit of the Mexican artist Miguel Covarrubias (who's work I just love!). Even though the information in these old encyclopedias can be outdated, they…
What If? Helen and Henry Tanous Pictures by J.P. Miller 1951 A nice little showcase of some Disney artists from the 1950's. J.P. Miller's work has shown up often in Little Golden Books including one of my favorites, " Doctor Squash ".
I love collecting different versions of stories and books that we already own. This story is "suggested" by Longfellow's famous poem and features sweet vintage illustrations. Sometimes I get these books so cheap at the thrift store or flea market with the intent of cutting up the pages to use in collages or other arts and crafts. But I liked this one too much and decided to keep it in one piece.…
Magnolia Flower Zora Neale Hurston adapted by Ibram X. Kendi illustrated by Loveis Wise 2022 I loved the book " Their Eyes Were Watching God " by Zora Neale Hurston. That led me down a path of picking up her other writing, including short stories, and folk tales. This book colorfully illustrated by Loveis Wise is one such story adapted by Ibram X. Kendi for kids. In the author's note at the end…
The Strange Voyage of Neptune's Car Joe Lasker 1977 This is a pretty incredible true story about young Mary Patton who took over command of her husband's clipper ship, Neptune's Car , when he became ill. Not only was she only 19 years old, but she was pregnant at the time! Able to navigate and read charts, Mary brought the ship to harbor in San Francisco after rounding the most treacherous path of…
I got to hold my sister's brand new baby and go to an antique mart with my mom (where I found this book!). If that isn't a great weekend, I don't know what is! I thought this would be more of a story book or musings about nature, but it's in fact a kind of science book teaching about weather and how soil is made and mountains and the air around us. It's a thicker Little Golden Book with more…