Looking for a puffin book
August 8, 2009 5:37 PM   Subscribe

Help me find a particular children's book.

The book I am looking for is a story that includes a puffin that says something along the lines of, "'nothing, nothing at all' said the puffin" possibly referring to something hidden in the snow.
posted by po822000 to Writing & Language (8 answers total)
 
Hmmm, just guessing but maybe There Once Was a Puffin ?????
posted by gudrun at 7:11 PM on August 8, 2009


The best I could find was a scan of this 1904 magazine on Google Books. It includes a story called "The Escape of the Mulligong" -- in one scene, a giant puffin in a suit and top hat has a conversation with a young girl about a maze of some kind. At one point she asks him if he's been in the maze long when he replies:
"Oh, about two hours, I believe," said the puffin; "but bless you, that's nothing. Some people are twice as long as that getting to the centre."
Given, the magazine is pretty old, but it's possible the story got reprinted in an anthology later on. How many talking puffins who mention "nothing" could there be out there, anyway?
posted by Rhaomi at 9:21 PM on August 8, 2009


Response by poster: Unfortunately, neither of those ring true. I asked my wife for more of her memory of this book - she mentioned there might be a polar bear involved, with a wagon hidden under the snow as well?
posted by po822000 at 5:58 AM on August 9, 2009


More details would help. Was it a children's picture book, or all text? How long ago are we talking about.
posted by gudrun at 8:02 AM on August 9, 2009


You can also try Ask A Children's Librarian.
posted by gudrun at 8:47 AM on August 9, 2009


Response by poster: I'm pretty sure it was a picture book.
posted by po822000 at 1:29 PM on August 9, 2009


Best answer:
This?
posted by peagood at 8:38 AM on August 10, 2009


Response by poster: Holy cow, peagood. You've found it! You've made Mrs. po822000 a very happy lady. Thanks!
posted by po822000 at 11:20 AM on August 10, 2009


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