Tag Archives: animals

353E: Kid Adopts A Camel – Humorous Non-Fiction Children’s Book On Cassette!

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I'm looking for a humorous non-fiction children's book, with accompanying cassette, about camels. I read it sometime between 1987 and 1995, likely closer to the earlier range, and it was probably published no later than 1975: it felt "modern" at the time. I recall the book being slightly larger format, softcover, and fully illustrated in a semi-cartoony style - and that it also had an audio cassette version which I believe was just the narrated book, without music. The conceit of the books may have involved a kid secretly adopting a wild animal as a pet: it introduced animal facts to explain how the animal's adaptations could help the child keep it hidden from their parents. One specific detail I recall is a fact that camels can close their nostrils to keep from breathing in sand - "or your dad's cigars!" as they illustrated by showing an unfazed camel in a living room where a man in a green armchair was smoking heavily. I'm fairly sure the book was part of a series, including one about penguins (where the kid tried to fill the bathtub with ice for them,) but I don't recall any other books in the series.

351R: Doll Runs Doll Hospital (Solved!)

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– published in 70s-80s, not that old

– cover was a cool tone color?

– girl doll runs hospital where she takes care of all the toys, she is in charge but they are all friends
– there is a china doll that comes in which is sick and running a fever
– all dolls/stuffed animals belong to girl who is terminally ill, she is involved sometimes but the point of view is from the toys’ perspective, maybe 3rd person
– there is a bunny or bear of some sort
– some animals have to have surgery, be patched up/sewn back together
– they are in a closet or something, there are beds where all the patients are
Any help would be great.

351H: Goose and Gorilla kid’s book? (Solved!)

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We’ve got a memory of a kids book about a goose and a gorilla.
It was published before 1990 for sure, but it could be quite a bit older.


It had a similar feel to the recent hit “Boy Mole Fox Horse” book in which a child is taught various lessons by different animals.


Anyway, that’s what I’ve got to go on, basic google searches got mired down in ‘mother goose’ and ‘good night gorilla’ type books.


Thanks for the help,

350N: Illustrated children’s book featuring a young boy, alligator/crocodile, and (possibly a second book) other wild animals

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It’s possible I’m confounding two children’s books. I remember reading this/these book(s) as a child in the 1980s. Book(s) featured a young boy who has trouble falling asleep. He wakes up or is still awake late at night, fearful of wild animals coming into his house. He is not believed by his parents. After dark he encounters wild animals, including a lion or tiger coming down the stairs of his home. He is afraid but is not harmed. I also remember (possibly from the same book or perhaps from another book) that the boy is at school, daydreaming. He looks out the classroom window and is scolded by the teacher. He sees an alligator/crocodile, who is beckoning him to go on an adventure to return the alligator/crocodile to his home. The boy travels with the alligator/crocodile through water. The alligator/crocodile says goodbye, offering the boy his tooth as a parting gift. The alligator/crocodile has a single tear on his cheek as he says goodbye. The book(s) have a dreamy, whimsical feel and I remember being frightened of the wild animals and enjoying the illustrations.

348S: Siblings transform into animal shapes

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I’ve been trying to figure out the title and author of this childhood  ‘book memory’ my brother has for the past 3 years. If you are able to solve the mystery, it would be a “Christmas Miracle”!! 🎄

Here is the memory:

“All the illustrations were in blues and greys. It was about a boy, I think with a number of brothers, and the brothers were possibly changed into animal shapes, or possibly it was princesses changed into animal shapes. I think there was a sorceress or magician. And there were pictures of horses? And maybe dogs?”

346Q: Fairy brings clay animals to life (Solved!)

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American book published some time around 1930 about a little blond boy on a farm. The farm animals were all his friends. One day there was a storm and all his animals were carried away and he was heartbroken. He went down to a stream and started making little animals out of clay in the shape of the animals he had lost. He fell asleep and a fairy who was riding around on a throne made of pink clouds saw him and had pity on him and used her magic wand to bring the animals to life. The book was illustrated in color and the title might have included something like Happy Valley Farm or Sunny Valley Farm.

343S: Little kid’s picture book, about girl and castle, possibly and her family and I think animals

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I cannot remember a lot about this book, but I know that the main “character” is a girl (it’s a short, mainly picture book) and I think she has a family too, like brothers. And I think they may live in a castle, surrounded by a moat. I seem to think there’s something to do with animals as well, whether they go to the zoo or have animals. I also vaguely might think there’s something to do with flying or a flying car/some type of vehicle/plane thing, but that could be wrong. Please help!!!!

341G: Mix and Match Animals

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Children’s book pre-1965. All animals drawn to same size – page is then cut in half. A description is on the opposite page and is also cut in half.For example, you could end up with the top half of a giraffe on the bottom of a beagle with the appropriate description.

335A: Babysitter Turns Out To Be A Wolf, Chaos Ensues (Solved!)

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I’m looking for a children’s book I checked out of my elementary school library in the mid/late 1980’s, so the book is from that period or earlier.  I can’t recall much but it concerned a family of animals (pigs, sheep, lambs?) that lived in an urban setting (I think), an apartment with bunk beds (maybe) - there were lots of “kids".  The parents go out for the night and the baby sitter turns out to be a wolf!  Chaos ensues... That’s about all I’ve got.  The book was illustrated.