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Need more help than what the stumper magicians offer here? You might want to consider joining the newsgroup rec.arts.books.childrens. This newsgroup discusses many children's books, and its readers may be able to help solve your stumpers too. There's also a bulletin board on MSN called ExLibris, the Lost Boards (which contains the archives from when Alribis used to have a stumper page). Yesterdayland.com. has a lot of television memories, but some book ones too. And it seems that abebooks.com has joined the game too, with Book Slueth.
A48 may be (though '87 seems a bit late for
'in
the 80s') Witch Stories, compiled by Jane Launchbury
; New York: Derrydale Books, 1987. First Printing, Hard Cover.
Stories
include Edward and Anna by Jane Launchbury; The Magic Island
by Elizabeth Waugh; Witch Wurzel by Elizabth Waugh; The
Witches
Who Came to Stay by Philip Steele; Grumblog by Jane Garrett
and Rachel and The Magic Stone by Deborah Tyler.
compiled by Helen Hoke, Witches,
Witches, Witches, 1958. This anthology may be too early
to
be the book you are seeking. The cover shows witches around a
flaming
cauldron with skulls. Some of the authors are Peggy
Bacon, Rachel Field, Oliver Wendell Holmes,
Elizabeth
Coatsworth, and Margaret Embry.
A48 anthology witch stories: perhaps Witches
Brew: Eleven Eerie Stories about Magic, Witchcraft and the Supernatural,
edited by Alfred Hitchcock, published NY Random 1977. If it
helps,
the Launchbury anthology includes the following: Edward and
Anna
by Jane Launchbury; The Magic Island by Elizabeth Waugh; Witch
Wurzel by Elizabth Waugh; The Witches Who Came to Stay by
Philip
Steele; Grumblog by Jane Garrett and Rachel and the Magic
Stone
by Deborah Tyler.
Manning-Sanders, Ruth, A Book of Witches,
1965. Possibly Ruth Manning-Sanders? She did many
anthologies
about other-worldly creatures, dragons, dwarves, wizards, mermaids,
etc.
Here's a list of the stories in the anthology: Contents: The Old
Witch -- Rapunzel -- Lazy Hans -- The Twins and the Snarling Witch --
Esben
and the Witch -- Prunella -- The Donkey Lettuce -- Hansel and Gretel --
Tatterhood -- The White Dove -- Johnny and the Witch-Maidens -- The
Blackstairs
Mountain.
Are you thinking of a book with
illustrations? I remember a picture in a book from the early 80's
with a pretty young witch holding a mirror up to deflect a spell and
nasty older witch was casting. The witch had a sweet name -
Minnie, Milly? I forget. I had not thought about this book
unitl I read your request. The book was somewhat thin, but large
(14 by 10?) and had a blue cover. when she first went to the
school there was a portrait on a wall and the admin staff got all "Oh,
my! She's the One!" on her guardians. Is that the
book? I'll look around my parents' house for you if it is...
Various - Illustrated by Max Ranft, The Witch Book, 1976,
copyright. This compliation includes the stories: Beware of the witch of the Vasty Deep,
by Betty Lacey; The entrance exam,
by Mary Carey; The witch named Naob,
by Helen Kronberg Olsen; Minnie's
long day, by Herschel Cozine; and others.
Concerning unsolved mystery A53, I ran across
a children's story called The Snooks Family in a
listserv
to
which I subscribe. The person submitting the
story says: "I can't take credit for this one-- in fact, I
don't
have an author for it, so if anyone knows who to credit, please shout!
My photocopy says From Tales of Ebony by Harcourt Williams
(Putnam, London)" I also read a version of this on the Storytelling
list,
so it may be one of those often re-told stories with many variations.
I've
taken the liberty of making some little changes of my own."
Using google's advanced search I found: Harcourt
WILLIAMS (M: 1880 - 1957) Ginger And Pickles [1930] Tales
From Ebony [1934] Harcourt Williams was an actor. He was born
in
1880 and died in 1957. I found 1 film with Actor containing "Harcourt
Williams:"
Brighton
Rock Directed by John Boulting, GB, 1947. 1 hr 26 min.
Thriller/Chiller.
Four fairy plays E Harcourt Williams and The reluctant
dragon
E Harcourt Williams. There are many films in which Harcourt
Williams
played minor roles . . .
A53 anthology myths & legends: well, here's
one with Thor, anyway - Old-time Stories, Fairy Tales and Myths
Retold
by Children by E. Louise Smythe, published by American
Book
Company, New York, 1896, first edition, illustrated in b/w and
color,
136 pages. Preface reads in part 'This book originated in a series
of
little reading lessons prepared for the first grade pupils in the Santa
Rosa (California) public schools... The spirit of the book may be
illustrated
by referring to the roast turkey in the story of The Little Match Girl.
The story was told as dear old Hans Christian Anderson gave it to the
little
German children fifty years ago...' and so on. Stories include The
Ugly Duckling, The Little Pine Tree, The Little Match Girl, Little Red
Riding-Hood, The Apples of Idun, How Thor Got the Hammer, The
Hammer
Lost and Found, The Story of the Sheep, The Good Ship Argo, Jason and
the
Harpies, The Brass Bulls, Jason and the Dragon.
William
Patten, Junior Classics: Fairy and
Wonder Tales,
1918, copyright. Maybe you are looking for the Junior Classic,
they are a set of 10 books, each with a different subject matter, the
first one is Fairy and Wonder Tales. The other books are Folk Tales and
Myths, Heroes and Heroines, Old Fashioned Tales, Stories of Courage and
Heroism, Stories that Never Grow Old, and Tales of Greece and Rome.
First Published in 1918, and compiled by William Patten, there are many
later editions as well. Hope this helps!
Wynken, Blynken and Nod is by Eugene
Field. Maybe Lullaby Land a collection of his poems
selected
by Kenneth Grahame, illustrated by Charles Robinson, published
by
Scribner 1894, containing Wynken, Blynken and Nod, The shut-eye
train,
etc. There's also his Poems of Childhood illustrated by
Maxfield
Parrish, published Scribner 1930s in the Illustrated Classics series,
which
contains Wynken, Blynken and Nod and
The sugar-plum tree. Neither Robinson
or Parrish really did wispy pastels, though.
In the 50s I had a book called something like
the Tall Book of Make Believe. It was tall and
narrow,
and full of wonderful stories and poems, one of which was
definitely
Wynken,
Blynken and Nod. It was illustrated by Garth Williams,
and
had many wonderful coloured illustrations. The stories included
one
about Georgie, a little ghost, and there were also lots of poems
including
the battle between the gingham dog and the calico cat. Does this ring
any
bells with the inquirer?
Olive Beaupre Miller (ed.), My
Bookhouse.Wynken,
Blynken, and Nod appears in one of the earlier volumes of the
BOOKHOUSE
series. (12 vols in all, + supplements.) There are various
printings, but the edition I grew up on is, indeed, bound in blue, and
"wispy pastels" is a fine description of the illustrative style. It
dates
from the 30's or 40's. This is a WONDERFUL set. EVERYONE
should
have one.
Is it possible that this is the Bumper
Book, edited by Watty Piper and illustrated by
Eulalie??
Wynken...
is the first item in the book. It is presented over four pages with
very
large elaborate pictures! I'd say the gorgeous illustrations would have
tremendous appeal to a child and would certainly be vividly recalled
long
afterward. While the cover color does not match your recollections, I
thought
it might be worth a look! Good Luck.
Just a possibility -- A wonderful poetry book
I just came upon with your poem in lovely soft colors, blue and yellow!
You might want to check out FOR A CHILD Great Poems Old and
New-collected
by Wilma McFarland, illustrated by Ninon.Westminster, 1947.Good
Luck!
Watty
Piper, The Bumper Book,
1950, approximate. Someone has already suggested The Bumper Book
which is my guess if it's an anthology. I am 59 and loved the
book. It also contained (among others) Christopher Robin, The
Gingham Dog and the Calico Cat, the days of the week and months with
clever pictures, etc.
A74 astral projection: this sounds something
like
Diane
Duane's Young Wizards series, though I can't place the
incident,
and would say it isn't one of the first three books. The characters are
Nita Callahan, her sister Dairine, and Kit Rodriguez.
I just finished re-reading the Young Wizards
series and this doesn't appear to match any incident described within
them.
It does sound vaguely reminiscent of the part in A Wrinkle in
Time
where Mrs. Who, Mrs. Whatsit and Mrs. Which take the children to a
two-dimensional
planet where they cannot breathe.
Wibberley, Leonard, Journey to Untor, NY
Farrar 1970. Just guessing here - the synopsis says "Further
adventures
of four children who can travel to other worlds - this time to a
distant
planet where enemies are fought with imagination and will power."
Barthe Declements, Double Trouble,
1987. About twins who use astral projectiom.
Christopher Fahy, Nightflyers or Night
flyers or Nightfliers. (1978 ish) Hi - I think it might be this
book.
About teenage kids in high school, bullying and central character
learns
to astral project. A brilliant book that stayed with me for years.
A79 alphabet puppets: might be worth looking
at
The
Ark in the Attic, an Alphabet Adventure, by Eileen Doolittle,
photographs by Starr Ockenga, published Godine 1987. "An alphabet
adventure
for young people with one or two photographs for each letter of the
alphabet.
Each picture contains a myriad of unusual objects, all beginning with
the
same letter. Includes pictures of antique dolls and toys and many other
childhood artifacts and
treasures with accompanying text." "In the
charming
text, a young girl, alone on a rainy afternoon, finds an old ark in the
attic. Setting about to fill it, she plucks and chooses objects of
delight
from each letter of the alphabet. Bitten by the collector's bug, she
embarks
on an exciting adventure."
This poster may be thinking of the animal
books
by Thornton W. Burgess. There are lots of titles, including The
Adventures of Chatterer the Red Squirrel, The Adventures of Jimmy
Skunk,
The Adventures of Peter Cottontail, Old Mother West Wind, and
many
more. All of them seem to be in print.
The poster might check the Thornton Burgess
books. Peter Rabbit and his many friends are followed in their
daily
lives and have many adventures while the reader learns about nature.
They
were published in the early 1900's and were in most school libraties in
the 50's.
A87 animal's daily routine: another writer in
the dressed animals genre is Arthur Scott Bailey, whose Sleepy-Time
Tales were published by Grosset & Dunlap in the 'teens and
'20s. Titles like The Tale of Tom Fox, of Ferdinand Frog, of
Frisky
Squirrel, of Fatty Coon, of Benny Badger.
Could this possibly be a Budgie
book by Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of Wales??
Disney, Pedro. This could have
been a book about "Pedro," the little airplane that takes over his
father's
mail route. Originally a cartoon short in "Saludos Amigos" by
Disney,
1943. I remember seeing the story in one of my Disney storybooks.
This looks like a book about Jay Jay the
Jet Plane. There are several - they are based on a
cartoon
series of the same name.
It sounds like the plot of an MGM
cartoon I saw, where an older propelled cargo plane is always being
razzed by the younger, faster jets. What's worse is that his son is
also a baby jet! In order to raise money for his family, Dad Prop-plane
enters some sort of contest against the jets. He tries, nearly crashes,
until Junior saves the day and his dad. Hope this helps.
A102 anthology burned: the first story sounds
like Mother Raspberry, by Maurice Careme,
pictures
by Marie Wabbes, published Crowell 1969. "Very cute story about an
old
lady who lived in the woods, made raspberry jam in the summer &
finally
resolved her problem with a pesky old wolf who stole her jam."
A102 anthology burned: the other story described
sounds like the song Teddy Bear's Picnic, the chorus is
almost
exactly the same. Not that it helps.
A102 Teddy Bears' Picnic was first
published 1947 as a song by Jimmy Kennedy. Many MANY artists
have
performed it on children's collections since, and many Many MANY book
versions
have subsequently been published, including anthologies. Mine as a
child
included a 45rpm record! In it, humans were putting on teddy bear
disguises
so they could sneak into the teddy bears' picnic unnoticed. Hope you
find
yours soon!
Jessie Willcox Smith, A Child's
Book
of Stories. This collection contains a story called
"Pancake",
"Henny-Penny", as well as a couple of "Fox" stories. It was
originally
published in 1911 and there have been numerous reprints, including one
in 1934. Unfortunately I don't know if "Pancake" was the first
story
in the collection, but I bet someone else out there can look it up and
let us know for sure. [Here's a lengthy contents list, if it will help:
Aladdin and the wonderful lamp -- Ali Baba or, The forty thieves
-- The babes in the wood -- Beauty and the Beast -- Blue Beard -- The
boy
who cried "Wolf!" -- The brave little tailor -- The brave tin soldier
--
The cat and the mouse -- Cinderella or, The little glass slipper
-- The crow and the pitcher -- Diamonds and toads -- Dick Whittington
and
his cat -- The dog and his image -- The elves and the shoemaker -- The
enchanted hind -- The field mouse and the town mouse -- The fir tree --
The fool-hardy frogs and the stork -- The fox and the grapes -- The fox
and the little red hen -- The fox as herdsman -- The fox and the rabbit
-- The gingerbread man -- The golden goose -- Goldilocks or, The
three bears -- The goose-girl -- Hansel and Gretel -- Hans in luck
--Henny-Penny
-- Hercules and the wagoner -- The history of the five little pigs --
The
history of Little Golden Hood -- How Jack went to seek his fortune -- I
don't care -- Jack and the bean-stalk -- Jack the giant killer -- The
lambikin
-- Lazy Jack -- The lion and the mouse -- The lion in his den -- The
little
red hen and the grain of wheat -- Little Thumb -- Little Totty -- The
magic
swan -- The magpie's nest -- Mr. Miacca -- The nose -- The old woman
and
her pig -- One, two, three -- The pancake -- The princess on the glass
hill -- Puss in boots or, The master cat -- The ragamuffins --
Red
Riding Hood -- Rumpelstiltzkin or, The miller's daughter -- The
selfish
sparrow and the houseless crows -- The six comrades -- The sleeping
beauty
in the wood -- Snowdrop -- Snow-White and Rose-Red -- So-so -- The
story
of pretty Goldilocks -- The story of Mr. Vinegar -- The story of the
house
that Jack built -- The story of the three little pigs -- The straw, the
coal, and the bean -- The sun and the wind -- Teeny-Tiny -- Three billy
goats gruff -- The three spinners -- Tired of being a little girl --
Tit
for tat -- Tittymouse and Tattymouse -- Tom Thumb -- Tom Tit Tot -- The
tortoise and the hare -- The ugly duckling -- The unseen giant -- The
water
lily or, The gold-spinners -- The white cat -- Why? -- Why the
bear
is stumpy-tailed -- Why the sea is salt -- The wolf and the seven young
goslings -- The yellow dwarf.]
Childcraft Series - Volume on Tales and
Legends. 1970s? I think this
anthology is the one I had from the Childcraft series (I don't know
which
printing - but I had mine in the earely 70s). The runaway pancake
was the first stroy, and the cover was had a picture of the fox and the
stork, which may account for the memory of the fox stroy.
AII6 I think it may be this, which I reproduce
from an ad beause it lists a lot of the stories. I can't find my copy
to
check myself. Hutchinson, Veronica S. Chimney
corner stories; tales for little children. Collection of
children's stories from: Henny Penny, The old Woman & her Pig, The
Pancake, Peter Rabbit, The Three Pigs, Little Black Sambo, Bremen Town
Musicians, Cinderella, Lazy Jack, and others. Balch & Company New
York,
NY 1929
Hoban, Russell, Harvey's Hideout. Could
you be thinking of Harvey's Hideout? It's about a
brother
and sister muskrat who squabble all the time. The brother has a
secret
cave and at the end of the book he finds out his sister has a secret
cave
next door to his.
Hoban, Russell & Lillian, Harvey's
Hideout, 1969. I'm not sure
about it, but this one keeps coming up in my WorldCat searches - seems
there aren't too many books with muskrats as main characters! "Harvey
thinks
his big sister is mean and rotten she thinks he is stupid and no-good.
As a result, they both spend some lonely hours refusing to play with
each
other." A reader's review on amazon.com mentions "all the things
Harvey and his sister were doing, like forming my own club, cooking
bacon
and eggs over an open fire, and swimming in a lake."
I had this book. I remember the brother
and sister eating cheese, which looked funny. I keep thinking his
name is Eddie. Maybe these clues will help someone come up with
the
title.
Glad she remembered "Hollow." Tales
from Fern Hollow series by John Patience, published by
Peter
Haddock. Titles include: Mrs. Merryweather's
letter;
Parson Dimly's treasure hunt; Sigmund's birthday surprise; The
brassband
robbery; The floating restaurant; The Secret Hide-Out and
Enemies of the Secret Hide-Out.
Emmit Otter'sJugband Christmas '70s,
approximate. Part of the Parents Magazine Press Series. I had this
one--they
rode on the river in a little boat and the book ended with a talent
contest/Christmas
concert.
A118:
Aliens
Animals Cousins and Stars
Solved: Ride a Wild Horse
Oversized and orange makes me think of the Childcraft
series. Volume 14: Science and Industry meets that
description
(10" tall x 14" wide), and certainly has many illustrations and
photographs.
But I didn't see the story you cite. There's a picture of the
full
series on the Anthologies page,
check
that out just in case.
Again, sorry I don't have the complete solution,
but the story about the stomach is the same as the book "Dr.
Beaumont
and the Man with a Hole in His Stomach." Is it possible it
could
have been included in a collection?
Anthony Ravielli, Wonders of the Human
Body. Just a
possibility...this
was published in both hardcover and paperback editions.
Thanks for giving it a shot however your suggestions for the book
in A121 are not the book. The book was oversized, probably 18-20"
wide by 12" high. I'm still keen to track it down. I think
the story about the rods and cones in the eye might be the key clue.
Willard Price, Amazon adventure, 1951.
"Amazon adventure" plot summary: "One of a series of adventures
featuring
Hal and Roger Hunt. The boys are accompanying their zoologist father
down
the Amazon, to explore an uncharted river. They face the natural
hazards
of the jungle, hostile natives, an anonymous telegram, and a hunchback
with bloodshot eyes." Sound familiar? It's probably this
book,
since it has almost entered "classic" status, but there are lots with
this
plot. Others: Morgan Swift and the lake of diamonds
by Susan Saunders, published in 1986, about a teacher and twins
Jan and Jill that go on a plant research trip to an Amazon tributary -
and it turns into a dangerous encounter with thieves and suspicious
Indians.
Another one published in 1986, Ambush in the Amazon, by Walter
Dean Myers, is about two brothers (I don't know whether there are
parents
involved) camping in the Amazon who try to save a tribal village from
the
attacks of what
appears to be a reincarnated swamp monster.
The brothers' names were Chris and Ken. Also, I could find no
plot
summaries, but there was a small series of 3 adventure books in the
late
1940s/early 1950s about "Tom Stetson" that seem to be set in the Amazon
region.
If all else fails, I bet you could contact
Educational
Testing Service (the group that creates the SATs) and give them the
testing
date/place. They probably have to keep records of the copyrighted
material that appears on the test and they would be able to tell you
where
it came from. Some of their material is really out there--my SAT
reprinted some portion of an article on cloud formation.
Rita Dove,Through the Ivory Gate, 1992.
Phyllis McGinley, All Around the Town,
1948. This is an alphabet book of things in the city. It's the
only
one I could come up with that the copyright dates fit.
A143 I just checked McGinley. It doesn't fit.
In All Around the Town D is for
'D's the Dairy Driver. 'He makes a daily round, With milk that
tastes
delicious, Or with Butter by the pound...' Sorry, not the book
you're
looking for.
Rachel Isadora, City Seen from A to Z.
I
think this may be too recent but worth a check
Diana Patrick, First Your Penny,
1932. Possibly this? "This new romance introduces the
reader
to Diana Patrick's most attractive heroine, Amaryllis Sheridan, known
to
her friends as 'Ryll'. 'Ryll' is young, lovely, and carefree. The whole
world, she believes, is hers to command. She had yet to learn the
important
lesson of life.. that 'the sweets of life must all be paid for'. First
Your Penny is the story of her discovery of the important
things
in life -- and the meaning of true love".
Gene Stratton-Porter, The Magic Garden,
1927. I'm not sure that this is the book being sought, but it is
an extremely sentimental romantic novel with a lead character named
Amaryllis!
Gene Stratton-Porter, The Magic Garden
1927,
I agree, this sounds like "The Magic Garden," one of
Gene's
more sentimental efforts. A strong-willed five-year-old named Amaryllis
is neglected by her parents, separated from her brother and shipped off
to live with Uncle Paul. She's never allowed to have adventures or get
dirty, ("Amaryllis, DON'T!" Sound familiar?) so she runs away and ends
up wading in a creek that leads her to a beautiful garden. The boy,
John
Guido, is about twelve and plays her the "Amaryllis, fairest flower"
tune
on his violin. They promise to meet again, and they do, each knowing
from
that moment that the other is their one and only and determined to keep
themselves pure. JG works toward becoming a world-famous violin soloist
her career, if any, isn't mentioned. At
the end, you're supposed to think JG is dead but he isn't because he
stopped
to rescue a homeless dog. (if this is the correct book, you'll possibly
recognize the phrase "yellow cur"). There was a film version made in
1927
with Joyce Coad and Philippe deLacy.
Werner, J. , ed., Golden Book of
Poetry,
Simon
& Schuster, 1947. This book has all the poems you listed.
Werner, J. (editor), The Golden Book of
Poetry, 1947, copyright. Although
I can't be sure this is the book you have, this book does have the four
poems you cited. My source is "Index to Children's Poetry, first
supplement."
Unfortunately this is not the book. All of those poems listed
in the stumper are in that book but here are some more that are
not:
The Table and the Chair, Jack Sprat, The confidant, Happy Birds and
many
more.
Actually, the four additional poems you listed
*are* in the Golden Book of Poetry. It's possible you
were
looking in a later book with the same title that was abridged (for
example,
the 1949 edition is only 68 pages long). The one that has them
listed
is Werner, Jane, ed. Golden Book of Poetry
il. by Gertrude Elliott. Simon & Schuster 1947 (Big Golden
Book).
112 poems ungrouped. This book is 97 pages and is 28 cm.
tall.
I hope this helps.
Golden Book of Poetry.
Is this the illustration for The Sugar Plum Tree? This
is the illustration for The Sugar Plum Tree in my Golden Book of
Poetry. (I just did a Google Images search for Sugar Plum
Tree.)
Colin Dann, Animals of Farthing Wood,c.
1979. This is probably a long shot, but could it be The
Animals
of Farthing Wood? In this series they are escaping a housing
development,
but I'm sure I remember a scene involving rafting down the river. Or
else
it could be Watership Down by Robert Adams,
where
something like that also happens.
I posted this a few months ago. The response
is not the Book I am looking for. My book was probably written in
the 1940s to 1970s. Last time I saw the book was in the
mid-late
1970s. Any other suggestions?
Anyway, I was in the archives to see if I could
solve anything and ran across A153 which sounds a lot like the book I'm
looking for (F153). I don't remember the raft or the map but the rest
sounds
the same. Curiously, my request is indexed F153. Is that on purpose?
I have been looking for this book for several
years. My sister and I used to check it out from the small
library
in my hometown in Michigan back in the 1960's. It must have been
published in the 40's or 50's as the copy we used was showing its age.
Is it possible that this is a book from Canada or England? As I
recall
the illustrations seemed to be influenced by Milne. I hope someone can
find this one. I would like to by a copy for my sister.
Albert Bigelow Paine, Hollow Tree Nights
And Days, 1915. Paine wrote
several other books about the Hollow Tree animals, Mr. Crow and Mr.
Coon
and Mr. Possum, etc. I don't remember a fire but I do remember a
flood. The line drawings do have a sort of Milne-ish (actually
Ernest
E. Shepherd)quality.
Brian Jacques, The Redwall Series
I'm not sure whether these books fit your dates or not, but it's worth
checking out this series. Every book is a thick one on basically
peaceful
forest creatures, whom face war or disaster and are forced to fight.
There
are so many books in this series, but it sounds similar to Jacques's
books.
animals escape forest fire
Possibly this one? Friendship Valley
by Wolo. NY: William Morrow & Co, 1946. A story
packed with illustrations about a variety of animals, large and small,
who work together to make a home after the tragedy of a forest fire.
Endpapers
are a pictorial map of "The Little Lake and Friendship Valley," color
pictorial
paper over board. I'm sending the same solution for unsolved
stumper
F153: Forest Fire drives animals to new home.
Wolo (pseudonym of Wolf Von Trutzschler),
author and illustrator, Friendship Valley, 1946. This is
definitely the book being sought! A badger, woodchuck, family of
racoons, squirrel, hedgehog, and frog escape from a forest fire on a
raft,
and rescue a kitten as they float downriver. The fire does occur
late at night, and the front and back inside covers do show a detailed
map of the place where they make their new home.
Robert Lawson, The Fabulous Flight. Could
this be it? A boy suffers an injury that causes him to shrink to
a very tiny size. He makes friends with a seagull and they have
some
wild adventures together. I think there is a part where the
seagull
is trapped, but I could be wrong.
Could this be Sid Hoff's Albert the
Albatross
(1961)
I'll have to hunt for my book to see if it contains the picture you
describe.
Well, I just scanned through both and didn't
find the box reference...
Holling, Holling C., Seabird,
1948. Please take a look at this one. -from a librarian.
Kitty Styles, Nicholas Thomas and
Timothy
series. These books, in addition to stories, included mazes,
games
and other activities. Perhaps a more likely possibility would be one of
the various "Rainy Day" books that used to be very popular. E.g. John
Purcell: Golden Rainy Day Play Book; Marion Conger and
Natalie
Young: The Rainy Day Play Book; Enid Blyton: Noddy's
Rainy Day Book etc.
Big Red Fun Book. Was it
a thick book (maybe 3") and about 8" tall? Did it include
chapters
on charades, and handwriting analysis? I had a book alled either
"the big red fun book" or "my big red fun book", and the riddle you
mention
was one of the first ones in it. (Another of my favorites was
"what
goes up a chimney down, but can't go down a chimney up? An
umbrella.)
I still have the book somewhere in my collection, so if this sounds
right
I'll dig it out for more info.
Michael Estrin, Fun for a Rainy Day1945
If this isn't Michael Estrin's "Fun for a Rainy Day" I'll
be very surprised. Do you remember a chapter on soap carving, another
on
knot tying, and a page showing a street accident and you're supposed to
look at it for a minute and then remember details? You were indeed
meant
to take a pencil to the book for the puzzles and designs, and my first
edition was a nicely bound black hardcover with gold lettering on the
spine.
It also came out in paperback.
A158 Possibly The 40 days of Musa Dagh by
Franz
Werfel; or The rage of the vulture by Barry
Unsworth. [I decided I didn't really know anything about a
wandering
Jew, tho I've had the book of that name by Eugene Sue, so I checked
Google
and found this
neat site.]
Charles (?) Whittemore, Jerusalem Poker,1970.
Part of a series of marvelous interconnected books that featured the
Wandering
Jew as a character. The books are a magical realist retelling of the
history
of the Middle East, with Jerusalem as the focal point. The Smyrna
section
is near the end of the second book, Jerusalem Poker, a book about a
never
ending poker game between the shadowy true rulers of the Middle East.
Books
were recently reissued by Old Earth Books in a uniform trade paperback
edition.
This sounds a little like a book called Last
Plane Out by John Ball, except that I don't recall
there
being two brothers in
that one. I have an idea that he has written
some YA books about flying, he might be a possibility.
Gian-Carlo Menotti, Help, Help, the
Globolinks,
1970, approximately. Is there a school bus that gets trapped by
the
creatures?
Just
wanted you to know that “Help! Help!
The Globolinks!” was indeed the book I was looking for.
Strangely enough, the book I read was actually a novelization of
an opera of the same name, written by the same man who wrote Amahl and
the Night Visitors. Thanks for solving this puzzle that’s
troubled me for years!
"Rabbit's Tail." in Smith, Jimmy
Neil,
ed. Why the Possum's Tail is Bare and Other Classic Southern
Stories.
New York: Avon, 1993. pp. 141-45. An African American tale told by
Sherry
Des Enfants of Lithonia, GA. Rabbit gets Alligator into an argument
about
who has the most relatives. When a couple thousand alligators show up,
Rabbit jumps across their backs, counting them and succeeding in his
plan
to cross the muddy swamp without dirtying his long fluffy tail, until
one
impatient alligator bites off his tail.
Sounds like typical Susan Cooper or Madeleine
L'Engle to me
Card, Orson Scott, Alvin Maker
series. Possibly ..... Lots about auras, plenty of good vs
evil, Alvin is the special child, but I don't remember a Death in a
carriage.
Sorry, definitely not Alvin Maker.
That series has reached six books, most recently The Crystal City,
and the only one where he was young was the first one (? Seventh
Son). No Death by black carriage, but plenty of threat by
water and things related to water.
Roderick MacLeish, Prince Ombra,
1982. Could it be?
I remembered also that each page had a letter of the alphabet
that
was at the top of each page, the letters where wispy and the rhyme was
under it. This is such a stumper for me. Is there a site to look at
that
has 1970s books that were popular?
Aexander Key, The Magic Meadow.My
sister just lent this book to me, all the details match.
I can't help with the anthology, but the poem
is "Little Boy Blue" by Eugene Field. You
can see online here. "Wynken, Blynken and Nod" was
also
written by Eugene Field, and the "Owl and the Pussycat" is by Edward
Lear.
Robert Louis Stevenson, A Child's Garden
of Verses. This sounds a lot
like A Child's Garden of Verses that I remember from my
grandmother's
house. We didn't have a very colorful version but I can remember it had
toy soldiers, land of nod, etc...
Mother Goose, c.1960. This
was a book some neighbours had, and I envied it, though it was too
young
for me. I never could get a copy for my kids,but I saw a copy of it not
long ago in a used bookstore in Streetsville, Ontario.
Alcott, Louisa May, Jack and Jill.
In jack and Jill, the two main characters have a sledding accident and
I remember the girl was in bed or convalescing for a year. I don't have
the book here and i don't remember if there was an apple blossom
connection.
Coolidge, Susan, What Katy Did.
Penguin 1985, reprint. Could it be this often-reprinted story?
"Katy
Carr was a tomboy, but she secretly longed to be beautiful and patient,
to be as kind and gentle as her beloved Cousin Helen. This is the story
of the dreadful accident that gave Katy the chance to achieve her aim."
"An accidental fall from a swing seems to threaten Katy's hopes for the
future, but she struggles to overcome her difficulties with pluck,
vitality
and good humor. A best-loved story for more than 100 years." Katy is
confined
to bed for 2 years rather than one, but the idea of blossoming trees as
a marker of time sounds appropriate to the book.
Thank you. I looked on the website, but the books aren't
correct.
:( I should have mentioned that it was a "picture" book
because
I remember it had pictures, so it wasn't a novel. Do I just keep
checking to see if anyone else has any ideas? Thanks for all of
your
help!
I remember reading something similar about the
same time. Try searching for a girl who has polio. I remember a
horse
in the story I read, and a big tree in a yard that bloomed. Sorry
I can't be of more help, but maybe a lead.
Daphne Hogstrom, What Will We See?,
1968. I don't know if this is what you're looking for, but there
were some similarities. The girl in the book is not sick, but she
basically waits a year to see what will happen to the tree at her new
home
(a farm). The story contains illustrations combined with actual
photos.
The girl wanders her farm with her doll, Jane. The trees
eventually
bud and blossom then she finds out they are apple trees.
Are the characters in your book black?
I remember a story from my childhood about a little girl in the South,
something about a tree in her grandmother's yard. At some point
in
the book the girl is injured (either a broken bone or a head injury)and
I think the cover of the book was purple. I think the gurl was
either
visiting or living with her grandmother.
Frances Clark Sayers, The Chinaberry Tree.
I don't know if this is the correct answer but your question made me
think
of a story I read many years ago about a little girl named TooLoo who
wasn't
allowed to climb the chinaberry tree because she was too small. She
eventually
climbed it and got stuck. When her mother got her down, she was put to
bed.
Not a solution, but book stumper A197 sounds like the same book as B259.
This sounds like the Book Trails
series. There is more information on these books under Solved Mysteries
Jane Werner, Tall Book of Make-Believe,
1950. Although the description of the books themselves is
definitely
not the same, the stories of Wynken, Blynken and Nod, The Land of
Counterpane
and A Swing Song all appear in The Tall Book of Make-Belive. Is it
possible
that your sister is remembering this book in addition to the ones you
describe?
You can find it in Solved Mysteries and Most Requested Books.
In response to the comment provided by a reader, I'd like to thank
that person for writing. I've tried to check on the Book
Trails
book, but I don't think this is the source of our book set. Our
covers
were not so elaborate, but beyond that, the Books Trails
description
mentions black-and-white illustrations; our books had richly colored
illustrations.
I can definitely rule out the Better Homes and Gardens Storybook
after having seen copies. I have other memories about our volumes
other than those I already mentioned, but they are more vague and
therefore
more unreliable: I seem to recall a story called The Land of Nod (which
might be the same as the story about the boy named Pod, already
mentioned...or
not). I think our books had Hans Brinker and the Silver
Skates.
I think both of our books had a mix of stories and poems for beginning
as well as better readers (as opposed to books that contain only poems,
another only stories). I don't think either book had projects or
"try it" activities. If there were other books beyond the two we
had (a larger set) I was unaware of them. As I've continued to
try
to find these books, I've come to realize that book sets from a variety
of publishers in the 1950s contained many of the same stories, which
makes
the search even more difficult. I have tried searching through
the
Mysteries Solved section of this website to find a solution, but
haven't
had a "that's IT" moment yet. I keep feeling that if/when I find
the story of the boy named Pod and the story/poem about Giant Joe Bean,
I will have found the elusive needle-in-the-haystack. I
appreciate
any and all help, so please continue to share your thoughts and
suggestions.
The Book of Knowledge Have you
considered a set of books sort of like an encyclopedia called The Book
of Knowledge? They were burgundy, leather textured hardbacks and
several volumes contained poems and short story classics. That
was
the source of lots of our childhood literature.
Marjorie Barrows, ed., The
Children's
Treasury 1947, approximate Now this one I have owned all my
life
it's "The Children's Treasury: A Book to Grow On",
published
by Consolidated in Chicago. Mine is a 1947 edition, two volumes, dark
red-brown
covers. Inside the cover is a colorful picture of children dancing in a
circle in outfits from all over the world. Joe Bean caught a cloud and
thought he'd bring it home and it nearly wrecked his house. His wife
was
a lot smarter than he was. The Land of Counterpane is one of several
Robert
Louis Stevenson poems in there, with soft grey-washed pictures. The one
about the baby born to the upside-down-reading parents is "Clown Town".
"Hi ho the derry o, the baby's name is <b>pood</b>." And
the baby's
mother (Flo) wore doughnut earrings. The book is notable for not
only having the story about the house that Jack built -- but also the
house
that JILL built. Hope this helps!
Childcraft series, 1930s to
1940s.
The poem about the "Jolly giant Joe Green" was contained in an
encyclopedic
style set of books called "Child Craft". There were
something like 20 or more books in the set. There were many
stories
and poems included, and the targeted age range probably was from 1st
grade
to 7th grade children. The books were richly bound in a dark red
leather, and as I recall, good quality paper. So there probably are
surviving
editions squirreled away in many attics waiting to see the light of
day.
It is probably something a dealer would not handle, because the content
would be too literary and/or too dated for today's kids. If
anybody
knows where to find the Childcraft series, and in
particular,
the specific book with the Joe Bean poem in it, I would appreciate
contact
information of where to find it.
Strangeways, Mark, The Secret Base: a
thrilling
tale of the Pacific, 1946. A
very similar stumper was recently solved on another site. The story
involved
a shark attack/Japanese millionaire/Chinese cook/British boys/and a
mysterious
yacht. Sounds like the same book this poster is looking for (is
that
you ElMagnifico??)
Alert - it isn't The Secret Base!!
I just got it and there was a mix-up of information!
Nope, tis Elwyn who posted this - it seems
we were only half right about this book. Has half the elements but not
all - we are still seeking the Chinese cook among other things!
One Ah Sin I know of is a character from the
poetry of the 19th century writer Bret Harte - I believe it's
from
the narrative poem about California prospectors with a title something
like Tales of Truthful James. This was later
dramatized
by him (with collaboration by Mark Twain) as Ah Sin, or the
Heathen
Chinee.
William Nicholson, The Wind Singer Since your not sure if your plots are mixed I'm going to suggest this one, although it has nothing about astrology, people are segregated into different classes based on testing. They can only live in their assigned part of the city, wear their assigned color, and are limited on career advancement as well. This tale also features, Mud People, really scary Old Children(who steal away youth by touching you), and some kind of prophecy. You may remember remember cities on wheels that sail across the desert, and an evil foe called "the Mora". I hope that's enough information, and I hope you find the right book.
Rumer Godden, The Rocking Horse Secret.
Just a guess!
I located my copy of the Godden book after
re-reading it, I'm certain that my suggestion was wrong.
Lucy Boston, The Children of Green Knowe.
It's not quite the same as the description, but could it be The
Children
of Green Knowe? The main character is a boy, Toseland, not a
girl,
but it has many of the same elements: torrential rain in the beginning,
English, a large house not his own, rocking horse in the attic, found
jewels.
However there are non-creepy ghosts.
Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden.
1994, reprint. Summary From Publishers Weekly Bratty and spoiled
Mary Lennox is orphaned when her parents fall victim to a cholera
outbreak
in India. As a result, Mary becomes the ward of an uncle in England she
has never met. As she hesitantly tries to carve a new life for herself
at imposing and secluded Misselthwaite Manor, Mary befriends a
high-spirited
boy named Dickon and investigates a secret garden on the Manor grounds.
She also discovers a sickly young cousin, Colin, who has been shut away
in a hidden Manor room. Together Mary and Dickon help Colin blossom,
and
in the process Mary finds her identity and melts the heart of her
emotionally
distant uncle. Ages 6-12.
This reminds me of a book I read about the same
time. I think it was titled The Octagon House.
The girl goes into a strange octagonal shaped house to get out of the
rain
as she walks home from school. She finds a key that opens a doll
house that is the exact replica of the house she is in. There is
something magic that occurs and she finds treasures. I think
there
is an old woman involved and the key was inside a box with a velvet
ribbon?
I remember the rocking horse, too.
Another person brought a stumper within the
stumper
about an octagon house. I don't know if this is the answer to the
origanal
stumper, but the person is thinking of OCTAGON MAGIC by Andre
Norton, 1967 (published in American and the UK). A girl (named
Lorrie?)
is having problems with mean kids at her new school. She finds refuge
in
a strange eight-sided
house that has a replica dollhouse inside and
I do seem to recall a rocking horse (perhaps there's a connection
between
her riding the horse and magic happening). It isn't a sinister book,
and
I think at the end the old ladies who lived in the house end up as
dolls
in the dollhouse? Anyway, maybe this description will help.~from a
librarian
CS Lewis, The Magician's Nephew.
Most of the things that you described are in this book
I have to disagree; this sounds nothing like
The
Magician's Nephew. In that book, two children (a boy and
a girl) travel to worlds through a wood full of pools using green and
yellow
rings invented by the magician of the title. It is a prequel to
the
rest of the Narnia books, explaining the origins of things such as the
White Witch and Lantern Waste, and there are most definitely parts of
it
that could be considered creepy.
Rumer Godden, The Rocking Horse Secret.
(1988)
I agree, this sounds exactly like The Rocking Horse Secret, though I
don't
remember any jewels (I have a used copy and re-read it within the last
year). Tibby, the main character, is the daughter of the housekeeper at
a grand house. Tibby has a friend who comes over, a slightly older boy
who works in the stables. She explores all over the house and gets in
trouble
for sneaking around. She finds the will that leaves the house to the
rightful
owners (maybe Tibby's mom or the stable owner?) in the tail of the
rocking
horse in the old nurseries.
I don't know if it will help you find your book,
but I can tell you what galoshes are. They are a lot like rubber boots
but they are oversized so that your regular shoes can fit inside them.
They have no lining inside because if you are wearing shoes inside you
don't need one.
Slade, Jack, Yeti.
Authorhouse 2003. Perhaps too recent, but it is a horror novel
based
on the Yeti or Abominable Snowman legend. No plot description
available.
Another on the subject is Mountain King, by Rick
Hautala,
Dorchester 2001. "The mountain stood proud and alone, shrouded in mist
and snow, surrounded by legends and fear. Some said a demon resided on
the rocky slopes, an unholy thing that periodically emerged from the
mist
to claim a life. Mark Newman had hiked the trails to the mountain's
peak
many times. He'd heard the tales, but he didn't believe them - until
the
day his friend
disappeared in a sudden, blinding snowstorm while
they were on the mountain. Mark witnessed something he knew couldn't be
real - something that would kill again and again."
