Hi, Everyone,
Brand new here--first post. I'm looking for the names of 5 books I had as a child. My father owned a bookstore so I had access to a great variety of books but, alas, some of them were lost in moves and I've been looking for their titles off and on for a few years now. These would have been available in the mid to late 1970's, except for the last which I found in the town library in the 80's though it may be older than that.
1. A children's book of days. It featured a small diary space, events of interest on each day, and projects. I remember most clearly that it had a variety of alphabets such as the "nose" alphabet. It was probably 9 inches x12 inches (23cm x 30cm), paperback, and I believe that the cover was predominantly red. I think that it was 1 to 1.5 inches (3-4cm) thick. I know that around Halloween it quoted Poe, and mentioned the "Penny Black" stamp. There would often be funny cartoons in the margins.
2. A children's songbook with a great number of British folk songs such as "Molly Malone," "Oranges & Lemons," "John Peel" and "Good King Wenceslas." It was a hard cover with a dust jacket. I think it was also around 9 inches x 12 inches and 1 inch thick. The most striking thing about this version were the illustrations. I remember them as a cross between William Steig and the Di Paolas. This would have been the time when those authors and that slightly skewered style would have been popular. The illustrations bordered on the grotesque. I remember an illustration for "Little Brwon Jug" with a drunk sitting on a bench and his head was all squashed. It was actually rather disturbing.
3. This may be a series of books rather than just one on the way the body worked. It was hard back with a shiny printed cover and quite large, perhaps 12 inches x 18 inches. Cartoon like illustrations covered every page with no margins. It explained things like why we sneeze or hiccup. Years later, i remember thinking that David MacCauley's books were very similar, only about architecture and mechanics instead of the body. I remember a drawing about the intestine showing how tall you would be in relation to your normal height to hold your intestine if it were stretched out. I also remember an army of white blood cells in little helmets charging the black clad infection in a cut. I think plasma may have been the ambulance brigade.
4. A hard back storybook, shiny cover, probably about 12 inches x 12 inches (at least I remember it as square) with colored celophane pages (red, blue, etc.) that changed the pictures. I think it was about little creatures. It wasn't like "Where's Waldo" in that it didn't ask you to find certain things with the different filters in place, but you definitely saw different things.
5. This last is a picture book. I don't recall it having any words, just wonderful illustrations, realistic style, I think colored pencils in a style reminiscent of Garth Williams, and Russell Hoban. It was a Christmas story, hardback with a dust jacket. I believe it was primarily red. The story concerened a little blond girl who wants to see Santa Claus and has set up an elaborate system of cans and bells to catch him. Her Christmas list asks for a new bear. Her old bear is puctured and all of the fur has worn away from his tummy. She falls asleep in a big arm chair. Santa comes down the chimney and steps carefully over all of the booby traps. The old bear sees a new bear with a fur coat in Santa's bag. He takes the fur coat from the new bear and stays in his home. When the little girl wakes up she is amazed at how Santa could have come and gone without her knowing. It was very sweet.
If anyone thinks they've seen these books please let me know! Thanks.
Brand new here--first post. I'm looking for the names of 5 books I had as a child. My father owned a bookstore so I had access to a great variety of books but, alas, some of them were lost in moves and I've been looking for their titles off and on for a few years now. These would have been available in the mid to late 1970's, except for the last which I found in the town library in the 80's though it may be older than that.
1. A children's book of days. It featured a small diary space, events of interest on each day, and projects. I remember most clearly that it had a variety of alphabets such as the "nose" alphabet. It was probably 9 inches x12 inches (23cm x 30cm), paperback, and I believe that the cover was predominantly red. I think that it was 1 to 1.5 inches (3-4cm) thick. I know that around Halloween it quoted Poe, and mentioned the "Penny Black" stamp. There would often be funny cartoons in the margins.
2. A children's songbook with a great number of British folk songs such as "Molly Malone," "Oranges & Lemons," "John Peel" and "Good King Wenceslas." It was a hard cover with a dust jacket. I think it was also around 9 inches x 12 inches and 1 inch thick. The most striking thing about this version were the illustrations. I remember them as a cross between William Steig and the Di Paolas. This would have been the time when those authors and that slightly skewered style would have been popular. The illustrations bordered on the grotesque. I remember an illustration for "Little Brwon Jug" with a drunk sitting on a bench and his head was all squashed. It was actually rather disturbing.
3. This may be a series of books rather than just one on the way the body worked. It was hard back with a shiny printed cover and quite large, perhaps 12 inches x 18 inches. Cartoon like illustrations covered every page with no margins. It explained things like why we sneeze or hiccup. Years later, i remember thinking that David MacCauley's books were very similar, only about architecture and mechanics instead of the body. I remember a drawing about the intestine showing how tall you would be in relation to your normal height to hold your intestine if it were stretched out. I also remember an army of white blood cells in little helmets charging the black clad infection in a cut. I think plasma may have been the ambulance brigade.
4. A hard back storybook, shiny cover, probably about 12 inches x 12 inches (at least I remember it as square) with colored celophane pages (red, blue, etc.) that changed the pictures. I think it was about little creatures. It wasn't like "Where's Waldo" in that it didn't ask you to find certain things with the different filters in place, but you definitely saw different things.
5. This last is a picture book. I don't recall it having any words, just wonderful illustrations, realistic style, I think colored pencils in a style reminiscent of Garth Williams, and Russell Hoban. It was a Christmas story, hardback with a dust jacket. I believe it was primarily red. The story concerened a little blond girl who wants to see Santa Claus and has set up an elaborate system of cans and bells to catch him. Her Christmas list asks for a new bear. Her old bear is puctured and all of the fur has worn away from his tummy. She falls asleep in a big arm chair. Santa comes down the chimney and steps carefully over all of the booby traps. The old bear sees a new bear with a fur coat in Santa's bag. He takes the fur coat from the new bear and stays in his home. When the little girl wakes up she is amazed at how Santa could have come and gone without her knowing. It was very sweet.
If anyone thinks they've seen these books please let me know! Thanks.
