Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with books and children's

Not Prince Michael. Prince who, though?

samsarah — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:36:44 -0800

Looking for an out of print children's book entitled Prince _________, about a dog. Help? A friend is getting married, and for her wedding gift, I'd like to buy her a set of books she remembers from her childhood. Unfortunately, I forget the most important part of the name. Things I do know:

-She read them in the mid-80's.
-There was a series of books, all about the adventures of a dog. (He was possibly a detective?)
-The word Prince was in the title. I believe it was part of the dog's name.
-I for some reason think the second part of the dog's name began with the letter M.

Suggestions for good rare or out of print book dealers also welcome. Thank you!

Long lost children’s book search

goml — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 11:21:56 -0800

I am looking for a young child's easy reader book from the late 1960s/early 1970s about a bear and his bus. I am 99.999% certain the title is Bumper Bear’s Bus. It had a light blue hardcover that was kind of watercolory in tone and if I remember correctly the cover has a picture of a very cute and fuzzy brown bear and a bus. He may have been wearing a yellow smock/vest/bus driver’s jacket.

I am more than 100% without a doubt positively certain the bear’s name is Bumper (because I had such a difficult time saying BumpeR, instead of BumpeW and I remember my Mom helping me with my “R’s” to say BumpeR, so I am absolutely positively certain without one iota of doubt in my mind that the bear’s name is Bumper).

Bumper Bear drove the bus around town, and I believe the story was about the people Bumper bear picked up for rides on the bus or where they were going on the bus, or things they saw along the way – you get the idea...

Places I've already looked: I’ve asked every member of my family, people around my age (40), I’ve checked used bookstores in person, searched every book finder web site I can think of, looked on google, ebay, half, random sites – NOTHING - Not one mention anywhere, but I KNOW this book existed because I once owned a copy.

Please let my first ever askme question help me find the first book I ever read!

Name of Children's Book

Lorna — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 20:26:57 -0800

I'm trying to remember the name of a series of preschooler picture books. They were written a few years back and the main characters are two animals that look like bunnies but aren't. One is white and one is black. I can't remember their names, hence my dilemma since their names are also the title of the series. I think one name is odd and starts with a B and the other is ordinary, maybe Maggie? Anyway, they are wonderful oddball characters who mange to find their way in and out of trouble. Their charm lies in being different. What are their names?

Farmer Brown has a Problem...

dreamphone — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 12:11:09 -0800

Please share your short list of best children's books ever! After checking out some of the books from this question, I’ve gone head-over-heels for Click, Clack, Moo – Cows that Type; the Ernest and Celestine titles, William's Doll, and Zen Shorts. I also love Hoban's Frances series. Would love to know what your absolute favorite kids books are (on ANY subject), especially for the wee ones (ages 0-4) but wouldn’t mind having some recommendations for older kids too. In general, I prefer books that are dryly funny yet also thoughtfully written and portray generally kind people. Either vintage (think the Country Bunny and the Gold Shoes) or otherwise is fine. Can provide more details if that would be helpful.

I’ve checked out many of the award-based book lists, but frankly found the mefi recommendations for the link above far, far better and more on-target. Thanks in advance!

Help me build a library of lefty kids books

RajahKing — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 16:55:08 -0800

Do you know any good left wing propoganda for toddlers? Please help me identify some lefty / liberal children's books appropriate for a 3 year old (and up as I have noticed she tends to get older every day).

I have a 3 year old daughter, we read a lot of books together. Her mom and I are committed to progressive political action and would like to introduce some cool, fun, lefty books to the collection. We have a handful, but I'd like to expand. I am thinking about books that discuss race, class, struggle, civil rights, gender issues, environmentalism, etc. We are well to the left of the American mainstream, but we'll take liberalish stuff too.

One request - please no political critique, I promise I'll still read her stories from a variety of perspectives. We let her watch Wonder Pets and Dora, so don't worry.

Picture Books For A Super-Smart Kid

yankeefog — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 07:34:58 -0800

What are the cleverest, wittiest picture books you know? I'm looking for something you might recommend to a very smart kid who is still young enough to prefer picture books to chapter books. Another way of putting is, I'm looking for the picture book equivalent of McSweeney's. (I should mention that I know that McSweeney's actually does publishe some kids' books -- those are already on my list!)

The Kingdom of Spaghetti

shii — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 17:44:48 -0800

Name this young adult book from my youth. It involved a land of pasta... ...and it wasn't Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. It was relatively text-heavy (although I'm almost certain it had illustrations), and also involved some angry-looking marble busts that talked to the main character. Yes, I'd place this firmly in the "magic realism" realm of children's books, along the lines of The Phantom Tollbooth.

If I'm actually recalling a dream, I may have to doubt my own sanity...

Help me find two books I read as a kid

Caduceus — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 19:41:47 -0800

WhatWereThoseBooksFilter: I'm looking for several unrelated books, or possibly series of books, that I read as a kid. The first involved a family of magic users living in what was the time the modern world. It was probably written in the 80s or early 90s, and I read it in the early to mid 90s (I have the least complete childhood memories of any non-tramautized twenty something I know, so bear with me). If I'm not conflating multiple books, the book was about a family of wizards/magic users who lived in secret in the modern world. I believe it was a YA book, and it focused on the children, though the parents could use magic as well.

I remember that one kid in particular had the gift of throwing small, relatively harmless fireballs, and would get in trouble by using this on his or her siblings. I don't recall if each family member could only do one particular magic act, or if they could all use magic in general and each was just particularly gifted with a single ability. I believe that the kids somehow awoke or pissed off a dragon, and that the family had to band together and fight it. It may have been a series, as well, but I don't remember any details that could have been from other books in the series.

The second book was about trolls. Again, I think it was a YA novel. I remember even less of this one. What I most remember is that they would play this game that I recall as being vaguely like horseshoes, only it would involve throwing what I believe were rocks with etchings filled with copper, silver, or gold in them. The winners would be able to take the losers' rocks. These trolls were fairly Scandinavian, in that they turned to stone in the sunlight, but they were the protagonists of the book.

Children's Book Filter - What was this book?

finitejest — Tue, 27 May 2008 15:25:58 -0800

Children's Book Filter: Help me find a book from when I was a kid. Of course, only limited details remembered... I'm looking to find the title of a children's book that was given to my when I was a child by my aunt. I don't know the age of the book, but I'm in my late 20s, so maybe that helps date it.

Here's what I remember:

The book was about or involved a black dog who, at the beginning of the book, either ran out of or away from the house. It was a softback book (at least the one that I had was) and the most striking thing to me was the illustration style...

I think it looked as if it had been screen printed - only a couple of colors were used. I remember black being a predominate color, with reds or oranges being secondary. Very block-colored illustrations with limited shading.

Ring any bells with anyone?

Help me find a creepy book from my childhood.

svolix — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 13:46:36 -0800

When I was in third grade, there was a book at the library that I would go and find every couple of months. Having since, you know, grown old, I can't remember what it was called. I remember surprisingly little about the book except how it made me feel (a little creeped out by the weirdness, but in a good way - a feeling I have pursued all my life since then). Here's what I do know:

- It was a large book (it seemed huge when I was a kid), but thin.
- The front and back covers both had a title on them, and they were different titles, and both were very long. I wish I could remember what one of them was. They were weird, nonsensical titles something in the vein of "The Magic Mixed-Up Upside-Down Dollhouse Army Nature Spaceship Book." Neither cover had pictures, just the titles in a blocky, retro font.
- Half of the pages inside the book were right side up. Half were upside down. Just like the covers.
- Every page had its own title. Each was a separate feature.
- I can't believe I remember so little about this book - I think it was so weird to me as a kid, so different from any other book, that I didn't know what to make of it. But mostly it was full of delightful, clever lies for children. There was one page where there was a picture of a moth, and the book insisted that moths could talk. They just don't want to. The book said that if you didn't believe it, you should go ask a moth if it could talk. It won't answer - thereby proving that they can but don't want to.

One hundred svolix points to anyone who knows what it is. Yes, you read that right. (They're redeemable for appreciation and good vibes from a stranger on the Internet.)

What are these books I read as a kid?

lunasol — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 07:05:12 -0800

Please help me identify several books I read as a preteen in the late 80s and early 90s. One involved four or five teenagers keeping diaries for school, one was about a girl whose mother was running for mayor, and one was about a boy who lived with his father, a 60s radical on the run! Oh, and one really bizarre book about a girl and her pewter animals. There's Here's what I remember from each:

Four or five teenagers keeping diaries for school: one was the bitchy, perfect girl, one was the preppy nice girl, one was the dowdy, nice girl, and one was the mysterious boy with the shadowy past. There was also the bitchy girl's boyfriend. All very 90210. I recall that the dowdy girl and the mysterious boy get together at the end. Also, the mysterious boy has some sort of horrible family secret, but I can't remember exactly what. Oh, and I believe it took place in Connecticut.

Girl whose mother was running for mayor: I barely remember anything about this book, except that her mother was running for mayor of a small town and lost in the end.

Boy who lived with his father, a 60s radical on the run! Again, I don't remember much about this book, except that the teenage boy falls in love with this girl, and they go see a reggae band together.

Bizarre book about a girl and her pewter animals: lonely latchkey kid develops an alternative fantasy universe involving her collection of pewter animals. This one I read when I was a bit younger, maybe 9 or 10 and creeped me way out.

Ring any bells?

Need Books/Movies for Kids Going to Rome

bjennings — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 15:55:33 -0800

I'm looking for recommendations for books, movies and even music that might be relevant for a group of middle school (7th & 8th grade, ages 12-14) kids who are going to Rome over spring break. I'm a teacher, and I'm leading a group of 20 middle school kids as well as three other faculty members. I'd like to be able to recommend novels, movies and music for them.

They've all read Caroline Lawrence's "The Roman Mysteries" series. I'm very familiar with the range of children's and young adult historical fiction, especially that set in ancient times. I'd love to have any recommendations for novels set in modern Italy. Some of the students have read Dan Brown's "Angels and Demons", but teen and young adult books would be great, too.

I suggested "Roman Holiday"; all of the parents said "Oooh, I love that movie", and all of the kids were bored out of their skull. Fluff like the Mary Kate and Ashley "When In Rome" and "The Lizzie McGuire Movie" is right up their alley.

I figure music is a long-shot, but maybe there are some recommendations there as well. Thanks!

Please help me locate these books from childhood.

kookywon — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 09:30:17 -0800

Another books from childhood question. Can you help me find these two books? I remember them from the early 80's or so, U.S. Book 1: A very well illustrated book. A kid gets a gift from his uncle(?) who's some sort of world traveler. The gift is a stone. It eventually hatches into some sort of tadpole/salamander type creature which grows quite big. So big that the kid has to sneak it out of the house into a local gymnasium swimming pool where he goes and visits it. It keeps growing and he eventually has to get rid of it and I can't remember how it happens. The uncle sends him another gift, another stone, which hatches into some sort of pterodactyl creature. The book had illustrations on one page and writing on the opposite page.

Book 2: Another illustrated book. This one may be a little tougher. The artist created several children's halloween books. The monsters were large and cartoonish, a little scary but more 'gross' than anything. One book I remember is about the 'big hairy toe', but upon searching that seems to be a fairly common scary story theme. I definitely remember a witch, some sort of shack that the child protagonist hid in, a skeleton, some sort of creature peeping through the keyhole in the shack and a chase maybe through a forest. I think the witch wanted to make a stew with the toe. This book was pretty much picture focused, the images pretty much took up both pages.

I'd love to find out if you can help me locate these books. I've been searching off and on for the last year. My brother and I really enjoyed them as kids. Thanks.

Squirrel Story

Irontom — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 07:23:02 -0800

I would like help finding a book from my childhood. It's about a female squirrel that takes up residence in an attic, and the toy soldiers in the attic defend her from a pack of bad male squirrels.

Children's book title redux

anonymous78 — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 12:47:05 -0800

I'm looking for the title of a children's book I read while growing up (early 80s) about a condemned house. I don't remember much other than that there's a small cottage tucked between two larger buildings. It's going to be torn down and replaced by a similarly large building, but some neighborhood kids get involved and clean it up. In the last scene, the contractor comes storming in just as they've finished baking cookies (possibly with an elderly lady living there). He's furious but is ultimately won over by the cookies and so the cottage survives (possibly as a bakery).

Alternative Kid's Lit

evilcupcakes — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 13:17:44 -0800

I am looking for some good subtly pagan/world religion themed children's books, toys, movies etc for my 6 year old niece in Arkansas. It doesn't have to be specifically pagan, just something that fits the themes and values of most any earth-based or mystical religion. My niece is stuck in the middle of the bible belt and therefore is given many Christian oriented gifts for the holiday season. Since my sister's side of the family ranges from staunch atheist to various flavors of pagan/other, I would like to at least expose her to other view points without completely freaking out my brother-in-law's family (yes, my sister is hip to this, as long as it isn't too preachy, she wants her to make up her own mind when she grows up). I have already stocked her with numerous fairy tale collections, ancient Egyptian gods coloring books, Native American life pop up books etc, but now that she is a precocious 6 year old, I would like to give her something with a little more complexity without losing the entertainment value. Ideas? Favorites?

Fiction I can read to a 5 yr old?

ohdeanna — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 06:22:29 -0800

I like reading to my 5yr old son at bedtime. We have discovered that we both enjoy reading longer books/ novels with many chapters and some pictures here and there. Our latest was the original "The House at Pooh Corner". Please suggest more!

Long Shot-Children's ABC book from 60s-70s?

MsElaineous — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 13:53:06 -0800

Can anyone tell me the title (or author, ISBN #, any other info) of a children's alphabet book-probably published late-1960s or early 1970s, featuring fantastical creatures chasing other fantastical creatures? Unfortunately, my memory is too hazy to allow me to find this book using google (or it simply doesn't exist anymore). I think it was printed on sepia toned paper, and had simple line drawings for illustrations.

Each page featured a mythological creature (some were "real" mythological creatures, but some may have been "made up for the book" mythological creatures) and a little bit of doggerel, like this:

"The lepus is leaping, as well he might! He is being chased by a..."

And then you would turn the page, and find "A Manticore," or something, who was performing some verb beginning in "M", as well he might!, for he was being chased by whatever "N" creature was on the next page.

I have tried searching on "lepus is leaping" because that is a phrase that sticks in my head. That being said, it may not have actually been a phrase in the book.

Thanks.

The Future of War?

Ryvar — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 03:48:36 -0800

Help me find a series of illustrated children's hardcover books from the 70s/80s about the upcoming technologies of "The Future" When I was 7 or 8 ('87-'88) I remember my grade school library had a whole series of illustrated hardcover books - big and thin (30-60 pages, say) covering the future of various topics. Future of flight, future of space travel, future of robotics, etc. The future of war was a particular standout as it had a very vivid illustration of two robotic hovertanks in combat - I believe it was on the front cover as well. That's the specific one I'm looking for but I'm after the whole series if possible.

Things I'm less sure about, some of these may be red herrings: I seem to recall all the books generally had a white cover (fairly sure of this) with a blue seriffed font for the title (not as sure about this), and all the titles ran along a basic theme that was literally like "The Future of War" "The Future of Robotics", etc. etc.

The art was particularly well-rendered, and generally didn't fall into the category of cheesy 50s-60s space art. Anybody have any ideas?

Help me buy a children's book collection

bananafish — Sun, 03 Jun 2007 13:38:42 -0800

A friend and fellow bibliophile is having her first child. As a baby shower gift, I'd like to get her a nice children's book collection (in the $100 range). The 58-volume Dr. Seuss collection looked awesome, but at $500 is beyond my price range. I thought I'd get some ideas about what children's book collections you or your children have loved. (I'm thinking Hans Christian Anderson collections, etc.) She's having a girl if that makes a difference to your answer.

Children's Books with a Female Main Character?

frecklefaerie — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 10:05:29 -0800

Any recommendations for children's books featuring little girls? Each night I read a book to my nearly-four-year-old daughter and lately she's been selective about the story, her preference being for one that has "a little girl in it." She's into the Clifford books, partly because those books have Emily Elizabeth as a main character. The Miss Spider books she enjoys, but those don't star a human.

From clicking on the amazon links in this thread on "Tatterhood" I came across some interesting fairytale books featuring girls. I have a feeling she would like to read just regular stories with girls about her age as the main character.

Thanks, all!

Children's book about a boy and his harmonica

amelliferae — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 08:24:25 -0800

Looking for a children's book about a boy who plays the harmonica... I am buying a book as a baby shower gift for a friend. This friend has told me several times about a book he read growing up about a boy who played the harmonica. He said the book is illustrated with simple line drawings, and he thought that either the illustrator or author was fairly famous.

I have little else to go by, and the people at my local bookstore looked at me like I was crazy.

Best book series for children and young adults?

MonkeyToes — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 18:17:22 -0800

Book series for children and young adults? Recommendations welcome. There is I'd like to lay in a supply of some of my favorite series (Hobbit/LOTR, The Great Brain, Wrinkle in Time, Chronicles of Narnia, Foundation) for my young son. Help me figure out what else I should add to the shelves.

What were your favorite book series for children and young adults? What series have your children enjoyed? And why? (All genres considered, and yes, I have looked at this, this, and this). I'm looking for series in the hopes that he'll read the first book, and then ask for the second, and then the third... My own preferences run along the fantasy/sci fi axis, but I'm willing to look at other genres.

Bonus points for series that have come out in the last (cough) 20 years. I've read Artemis Fowl and Harry Potter, but little else as far as series go. His Dark Materials? Gormenghast? I feel like I need a little remedial education in this area. Thanks.

Help me remember a strange children's book?

lilithim — Mon, 02 Oct 2006 10:23:39 -0800

Children's book filter - When I was about five or six (call it the late 80s/early 90s), there was a children's book that we adored about a little Australian girl who vividly dreams about spending time in an Asian (Chinese/Japanese) world with a small boy about the same age. Now, at 22, I have no idea what this book was called, or who the author was. More about the book - fairly long, about 60 pages or so, large format, about 14" by 12".
I do remember that there were the most amazing pictures, including the small boy's mother crossing a bridge with a very slimy dragon, that the little girl had polio/some other degenerating disease and wore leg braces and that they find a crazy uncle who tells her that she needs Evening Primrose Oil or something equally challenging to obtain.
I'm reluctant to put any 'names' of the characters in, because I can't rightly recall anything, the little boy may have been somethingMoto, which makes it really challenging.
I'm also something of a researcher and have been scouring the public libraries, various children's librarians and references in an attempt to find this book, and thus far, it's proved unsuccessful.
MeFi, you're my only hope!

Orange marmalade and an adult who doesn't care.

Tuwa — Sun, 17 Sep 2006 11:43:37 -0800

What is this children's book I read twenty years ago? Basic plot and scant specifics inside. The story had to do with two children--brother and sister, if I remember right--living with a somewhat cantankerous older man (a grandfather? an uncle?). They'd tell him stories and he'd always respond with the same dismissive/indifferent statement. Then one night he had a crazy dream and in the morning he wanted to tell them about it. They listened to it and then zinged him with the same statement he was always giving them.

For his breakfast he liked orange marmalade on toast, and he (or the children?) at some point rode a giant paper airplane. If it was the children on it, then they were always telling him about their dreams, or their lives were more eventful than I remembered.

And that's all I can remember about it.

Various searches aren't turning up much, probably because that's not much to go on. Does anyone remember this book?