I borrowed a copy of a chapter-book from a preschool acquaintance of mine in Canada in 1991 or 1992. As I recall, though, it was a hardcover with slightly off-white pages, meaning that it might have been much older. As I recall, it was a medium-sized book of short stories about a group of bedroom toys, with black-and-white ink illustrations. The only story I remember in any detail was about a stuffed animal who goes into his owner’s closet and re-emerges wearing a pile of clothing and declaring himself to be ‘_______ _______ III’. At the age I was, I had no idea that this meant ‘the third’, so I always mentally read it as ‘I-I-I’ or ‘one-one-one’. The other toys are astonished at first, but I’m pretty sure there was the predictable unmasking by the end of the story. Thanks in advance for any suggestions!
Stump the Bookseller
New format, same book stumper solving.
Could be Waggy and His Friends by Patricia Scarry. See Solved Mysteries for a couple more details. http://loganberrybooks.com/solved-w.html The toy animal that disguised itself was Lion. Can’t remember the alter ego’s name, though.
Sounded promising, so I searched for the cover – and recognised it INSTANTLY, after 23+ years! Solved! Goodness me, I thought I’d never find it. Ordering a copy right away. Thank you so much!
In fact, [there is] a picture of the table-of-contents, and there it is: “Thomas J. Pinpoint III”.
I’m fascinated to note that all three of the details I originally put into my post (but then second-guessed and removed) were right-on: the book being square, the background of the cover having a red wallpaper-y look, and one of the names of the alias being ‘Thomas’!
I mention this in order to encourage other searchers to put even old, dubious bits of memories into their queries.