Tag Archives: poetry

372Q: 1940s classy children’s anthology

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I’m trying to find a much-loved book given to a relative around 1948 (in England, so presumably a UK publisher).

It’s an anthology of stories and poems for children, clearly by someone who loved literature and didn’t want to look down on children or preach to them. It included things like Christina Rossetti’s poem “Goblin Market” and the Chinese folktale “Blue Rose”, and had illustrations by Aubrey Beardsley (obviously not done for the book as he was long dead).

The book is hardback with a leaf-green cover, and fairly large.

371X: If I had a pony

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I’m hoping you can help me find a book my grandmother used to read me. I believe it was called ‘If I Had A Pony’ it was a long thin rhyming book. A line from the book was, If I Had a Pony I’d name him baloney…but we do have a turtle and his name is Fred. I know that’s not a lot to go on. Thank you for your help. Have a wonderful day, 

371O: Children’s book about boy who writes poems outside on a typewriter

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Looking for a children’s picture book we read at our local library about 2-3 years ago about boy (maybe called max) who sells/gives poems out on the sidewalk (maybe at a stand?). Kids pass him on the street and ask for poems. One is about buttons and repeats the word multiple times, like, buttons on your buttons buttons, one is about seashells after a friend is headed to the beach, one is about kittens because someone is giving them away and the last one is a gift for his sister whose birthday it is the next day.

367X: Family takes an elevator underground – whistle if you get lost

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The book I’m looking for is as follows:

Children’s book   – from the UK
I read it in the UK when i was a kid in the 1970s

It was illustrated but with line drawings – was for older kids, maybe 7/8 and up?
There was a story in it about a family who takes an elevator down into the ground, and they whistle to each other if they get lost.
It was a collection of stories for kids. 

It might have also had poetry in it
This story has haunted me for years, no idea if it will ring a bell with someone somewhere

360R: I hate the dope that thought up soap

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When I was a child in the late 90’s there was a book of I think children’s rhymes in my grandmother’s house in North Carolina that she used to read to me. I think it was already an old book at that time, possibly from her years as a teacher or from my father’s childhood.   It had the phrase “I hate the dope who thought up soap.” And something like “I wish he’d eat it!”   Something along those lines. I’ve googled this phrase and found only the books by Megan McDonald, but those were published starting in 2000 so are too recent to be what I’m thinking of.  Help please?

357G: The Little Old Lady (Solved!)

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This might actually be in the title of the book. It may have been published in the 70s or before but definitely not later than the early 80s. I believe it was a book of children's poems about an old lady and one of them was "There was an old lady who wanted to ski, she wouldn't take lessons - it's easy said she! She tried and she tried but she just couldn't go. Nobody told her she had to have snow."

355S: Children’s Book, 60s, Green cover?

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I’m looking for a book that I had in the early sixties.
It showed a mom on the cover who was sitting on a sofa in a living room reading from a book.

On the cover of the mom’s book – there was also a picture of a mom reading from a book.

I can’t recall if the children were on the couch with her or were on the floor in front of her as she read.
I think the book had rhymes or poems or stories.  I thought it was green.
Thank you so much for trying to remember this book for me!

349F: Boy with gigantic tall spoon catching clouds

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I am seeking a vintage children’s anthology possibly printed somewhere between 1940s-1960s. Possibly earlier.
The main clue is an illustration of a boy holding a huge spoon, (tall like a ladder) scooping up clouds.
The featured poem with the illustration is
CLOUDS
 by Dorothy Aldis
If I had a spoon
As tall as the sky
I’d dish out the clouds
That go slip-sliding by.
I’d take them right in
And give them to cook
And see if they tasted
As good as they look.
I’ve searched other books and I can usually find this poem, but I cannot find the right illustration of the little boy holding the tall spoon catching clouds.
The book was a hardcover cloth-like blue,  with faded letters embossed on cover. There was no dust jacket.
I thought maybe the book was “Here, There, and Everywhere” by D. Aldis, but as it turns out, it is not the right book 🤔
Size of the book was approximately
 8″ x 11″x 1″ thick.

347W: On the Wing of a Lark – Children’s Poems

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This was a short book of children’s poetry I had as a child and it seemed like an older book even then. So it is at least 35 years old but likely more. I remember a few of the poems vaguely. One was about the changing seasons, I remember Autumn had apple trees and children collecting them. And another about the day passing using birds i.e. the sun rises with the robin…night come on the wing of a lark or something like that? There was also one about a toothache. What I remember the most is the illustrations. They were very delicate with children that had chubby cheeks. The trees were drawn with curly cues. For the toothache one the little girl had a handkerchief tied around her face. It was in English but maybe British because of the words that were used like lark and morning tea.

The book itself was about the size of a sheet of paper and covered in light blue cloth. The cloth was much like my Hardy Boys books. The title was on the binding and for the life of me, I can’t remember what it was. Something like: The Robin Brings the Sun or the Robin Sings the Morning…I’ve tried googling a lot of variations but since the book is older I’ve given up trying to find it that way. Due to how I remember it and since the front of the book didn’t have the title I’d assume it may have had a dust jacket that had gotten removed at some point. I was hoping to get it from my mom for my daughter but they’ve moved so many times it got given away at some point. Would love to find it as it was a favorite when I was little.