Can you ID these books from my 1980's childhood?
March 14, 2011 7:35 PM Subscribe
Help me track down two books from my childhood!
Okay. If any of you are children's reading room librarians, or Brits, or both, hopefully you can help me identify these two books, both of which I had in the early-to-mid 80's.
1. A British book, likely too specifically British to find a market in the US (got it during a trip to the UK). It was a book of very detailed illustrations of all sorts of inventions that kids could use to get out of annoying chores or otherwise give them unfair advantages. Such inventions include:
-a fake bathtub cover that gave the appearance of you sitting in the tub, but meanwhile underneath you were dry as a bone and had straws leading to cups of soda, a little TV screen, etc.
-a giant mechanized football pitch that would tilt slightly in favor of whichever side your team was playing on.
-an enormous "wheel" that rolled through the streets (crushing everything in its path) sucking fire out from the chimneys of houses it rolled past as a source of fuel.
-A few things for cheating at school, and I seem to recall a mention of a recipe for 'super sticky green snot'.
It calls to mind the Cutaway or How Stuff Works books, but I'm quite sure it's not done by those artists. Any ideas?
2. I have less to go on for the second book, although I'm quite sure it was something that could be found in the children's room at the local library. It was an illustrated story book, likely a compilation of different stories. One of them had a story about an orphaned raccoon who ended up taking care of himself but was a terrible mess. Most clearly from that story I recall an image of this raccoon eating a bunch of berries and becoming all sticky and covered in blueberry juice. Eventually he gets adopted by a new family (also raccoons, I presume), cleans up, and lives happily every after.
Also in this book: During the winter, while the area was covered in snow, one animal spotted a vent of steam coming out from a hole in the snow and presumed it to be a volcano, alerting all the other animals around and sending everyone into a panic. In the end, the vent of steam turned out to be just the warm breath of a hibernating bear.
I would GREATLY appreciate your guidance, folks! Thank you!
Okay. If any of you are children's reading room librarians, or Brits, or both, hopefully you can help me identify these two books, both of which I had in the early-to-mid 80's.
1. A British book, likely too specifically British to find a market in the US (got it during a trip to the UK). It was a book of very detailed illustrations of all sorts of inventions that kids could use to get out of annoying chores or otherwise give them unfair advantages. Such inventions include:
-a fake bathtub cover that gave the appearance of you sitting in the tub, but meanwhile underneath you were dry as a bone and had straws leading to cups of soda, a little TV screen, etc.
-a giant mechanized football pitch that would tilt slightly in favor of whichever side your team was playing on.
-an enormous "wheel" that rolled through the streets (crushing everything in its path) sucking fire out from the chimneys of houses it rolled past as a source of fuel.
-A few things for cheating at school, and I seem to recall a mention of a recipe for 'super sticky green snot'.
It calls to mind the Cutaway or How Stuff Works books, but I'm quite sure it's not done by those artists. Any ideas?
2. I have less to go on for the second book, although I'm quite sure it was something that could be found in the children's room at the local library. It was an illustrated story book, likely a compilation of different stories. One of them had a story about an orphaned raccoon who ended up taking care of himself but was a terrible mess. Most clearly from that story I recall an image of this raccoon eating a bunch of berries and becoming all sticky and covered in blueberry juice. Eventually he gets adopted by a new family (also raccoons, I presume), cleans up, and lives happily every after.
Also in this book: During the winter, while the area was covered in snow, one animal spotted a vent of steam coming out from a hole in the snow and presumed it to be a volcano, alerting all the other animals around and sending everyone into a panic. In the end, the vent of steam turned out to be just the warm breath of a hibernating bear.
I would GREATLY appreciate your guidance, folks! Thank you!
Response by poster: Sadly, it's definitely not Blueberries for Sal. I remember that one. The book I'm thinking of was illustrated in color, and was much more recent- not earlier than the 1970's I'm quite sure. All the characters were anthropomorphic animals.
posted by holterbarbour at 8:44 PM on March 14, 2011
posted by holterbarbour at 8:44 PM on March 14, 2011
The inventions one rings a bell, though I grew up in the US. Could it be Mad Inventions by Al Jaffee, a collection of cartoon inventions from Mad Magazine? (Those links go to two versions with different covers.)
posted by LobsterMitten at 11:02 PM on March 14, 2011
posted by LobsterMitten at 11:02 PM on March 14, 2011
A few other possibilities I've run into while searching -
Steven Caney's Invention Book (it features real inventions but also has a section for fantasy inventions that someone should invent)
Something illustrated by Heath Robinson, similar to the American Rube Goldberg? For example, one in the Professor Branstawm series?
posted by LobsterMitten at 11:16 PM on March 14, 2011
Steven Caney's Invention Book (it features real inventions but also has a section for fantasy inventions that someone should invent)
Something illustrated by Heath Robinson, similar to the American Rube Goldberg? For example, one in the Professor Branstawm series?
posted by LobsterMitten at 11:16 PM on March 14, 2011
Response by poster: Still not there yet. The inventions book is definitely (and pronouncedly) British, so the Al Jaffee ones are out. The Steven Caney one may be in the right direction, but this one didn't have any actual inventions- it was all snark and mischief, with nothing of any real educational value to it. Heath Robinson is probably way before the time this was published, which must have been some time in the mid-80's.
The animals story book was probably published earlier since I recall seeing it at a younger age (between 1980-85, I think), but I seriously doubt it was published before 1970. Thanks for keeping an eye out though!
posted by holterbarbour at 12:20 AM on March 15, 2011
The animals story book was probably published earlier since I recall seeing it at a younger age (between 1980-85, I think), but I seriously doubt it was published before 1970. Thanks for keeping an eye out though!
posted by holterbarbour at 12:20 AM on March 15, 2011
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posted by yellowbinder at 8:39 PM on March 14, 2011