Welcome to Old Children's Books, selling children's literature and picture books online since 1994. We stock more than 10,000 scarce, collectible and out-of-print books, for readers, teachers and collectors.
Play Books
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Every book on a Topic List has additional photos of illustrations and condition. For more information on the topic lists see: http://www.oldchildrensbooks.com/catalogues-lists/topic-lists
McLoughlin, patented 1891; later printing, Stiff pictorial wraps, shaped by proscenium arch above and orchestra pit below, with center opening, and hinges on outside edges; six chromolitho half pages on heavy paper on each side, 9x11.7.
A little theater with changing scenes and an audience can be formed by this ingenious and beautiful book. Center opening to form six scenes, with audience on verso, and a full page scene on inside back wrap. McLoughlin published several of these Pantomime Toy Books of fairy tales, perhaps inspired by Dean's earlier ones.
CONDITION: Good Plus; no names or other marks, hinges rubbed and flaking, very top of arch is chipped, one page has 1/8" corner chip, still bright and clean.
#11491
$235.00
2011-02-13 07:37
W. K. Kellogg, patented Jan. 15, 1905; c. 1909, #580; artist is not credited, trifold WRAPS; two rows of silly animal pictures are attached to another card that has the outside sections each cut into 9 flaps, 3 per row: head, body, and feet. Thus, the 18 basic animals can be transformed in numerous ways; ad for Kellogg's cereal on the back and throughout the text .
Very funny creatures, which allow for multiple transformations. This toy was published by Kellogg over many years, with gradual shifts in illustration. These are abundant, and I picked this up because it was available and I was collecting advertizing pamphlets, but you can get one in nicer condition for a reasonable price.
CONDITION: Good Minus; no names or other marks, interior quite bright, with unwrinkled flaps in very good condition and clean pictures, but the outside cover is soiled, with little pull tears on front and split in spine to first staple, corner creases and bumps.
#19353
$10.00
2011-04-11 12:25
New York: Sam'l Gabriel and Sons, (1930); No. 901; a panorama, or folding board book, with heavy glazed cream board covers and white board pages, each showing with large full colour animals, attached accordian style with red cloth, twelve 9.3x11.3, boards making 24 different pages with only the title page Spaniel repeated; the entire panorama 108" x 11." or 2.82m x 28.5cm.
A generously sized, beautiful panorama, whose animal subjects seem to gaze at the viewer; this would make a treasured present for a new baby, as it is sturdy enough to use and display. A great variety of dogs, cats, and farm animals, with a reindeer and a camel, as well, all in full colour set in their surroundings. Note: This book has been sold.
CONDITION: Very Good Plus; cover boards clean but lightly toned, a few thin scratches on bottom board, minor scuffing and pale foxing to board edges, a little wear to corners, with bottom left rubbed through; no other flaws; clean pages, very strong binding tape connections; gift condition.
#17519
$135.00
2010-02-24 18:54
Whitman Publishing Co., #678, 1930; panorama folded board book with four boards making six interior pages, yellow top board, white pages with image next to each letter, 6x4.75"
Bright detailed pictures, a hard book to find. Printer has misspelled the artist's name on the cover.
CONDITION: Good, no names, corners a little rubbed, one hinge torn and frayed for 1.75 inches, boards darkening with light even soil to covers; corners of paper creased between two pages.
#18995
$22.00
2010-04-16 21:59
Kenosha, Wisconsin: James & Jonathan, Company (1948), Lowe not mentioned; three shape books about a family of three kittens, a little boy, a larger sister, and an older brother, each book folder with a cover sheet and an inside sheet, making 6 interior pages; the front and back covers show the front and back of each kitten; the three books are held together in two places by little brass chains, which appear original; 5.2x11.75" at the largest.
The shape kittens on the covers have nice expressions and huge eyes, and they are very prettily dressed. The kittens in the rambling stories have shed their clothes. Quite an unusual little piece. Note: This book has been sold.
CONDITION: Near Fine/Very Good Plus/Good Plus; no names or other marks, beginning with the smallest book: the little kitten is Near Fine with some rubs on the chain hole and tiny tears on bottom edge, the medium kitten has a pull tear on the back of her dress, the largest kitten has a pull tear above his eye and a 0.25" x1.25" chip off the top of his hat, as well as a bend to top. All in all they are doing well.
#19026
$35.00
2010-07-08 09:16
Lowe, James & Jonathan, Inc., #1980, 1958; a set of four rectangular shape books with rounded corners and cardboard wheels, each book encased in a plastic section that hangs from a card label for display; each book is oblong 6x4" with eight interior pages and plaid spine. The entire collection was priced at 76 cents, each book at 19 cents.
Wonderful vintage set!
CONDITION: Near Fine, no names, as new and unopened except for one clear plastic section opened to look at publication data; cardboard hanger label has missing corner, lightweight clear plastic is aging.
#19025
$50.00
2010-07-17 10:49
Denver: Tammen Curio Co, (1902), Paper shaped burro head covers, photos.
"A collection of sixty-four cute, curious and interesting burro pictures and " photos drawn together in a shape book of a darling burro's head. A paper softcover book.
CONDITION: Near Fine, small, elegant, inked initials title page.
#13557
$50.00
2011-01-08 20:01
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Clark Brothers Chewing Gum Company, (1944) early printing; pink paper boards, blue spine, with Tommy and berries, Tommy holding a huge pack of Teaberry Gum on the back, full colour endpapers with Tommy and working elves striding down a hill, full colour illustrations across ever spread, 7.35x10.1"; np.
Tommy found teaberries growing in a mountain forest and learned the process of making Clark's Teaberry Gum from old Tickleberry. Wild teaberries are delicious and I used to love that gum, too! With amusing lithographs in glowing cartoon colours by Ben Jorj Harris, (1904 - 1957) who developed an airbrush technique. Please note: THIS BOOK HAS BEEN SOLD
CONDITION: Good, owner pencil name and address fep, child name rep; spine worn at ends and cracked across, with 2" spine flap on both ends tacked down with archival glue; covers remarkably clean despite this and pages bright, unwrinkled, and clean.
#19399
$28.00
2011-02-09 12:33
Keene, New Hampshire: J. A. Wright & Company, An All Wright Story for Little Folks, (1944); WRAPS with 4 sheets making 14 interior pages; 4.5x6.5.
This story really happened! In 1873 John A. Wright stopped to rescue a cow; later he noticed that the mud on a cow's legs had turned white and took some home to experiment with. A great fable, brought to life with Grant's clever illustrations, about our very favourite silver polish. These little booklets were distributed by stores, and this one has the printed address of Rudy's Meat Market in Portland Maine.
CONDITION: Very Good Plus; no names or other marks, no rubbing, top back corner has been bumped and then flattened out, otherwise flat pages.
#19401
$110.00
2011-02-09 13:05
Golden Press, #11033, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp, 1968, very early printing, $1.50 sticker; matte full colour paper boards with ship with cut-out sails revealing pattern of boards of little books inside.
A curiosity, with undistinguished illustrations, a photo of Rex Harrison on giraffe on the cover and two little books written by Vivian Bennet, Animal Scrapbook and Sea Adventure, slipped into slots on the right hand board page. When opened, the cut out sails become a window through which the chimpanzees may gaze.
CONDITION: Very Good; no names or other marks, slight wear to bottom corners and spine end, both little books unread and clean, one with scuffed on top cover, the other in flawless condition.
#13378
$28.00
2011-02-13 08:57
Akron, Ohio: Saalfield Publishing Company, (1942) #2407; colour illustrations on every page, with a different colour "shadow" illustration behind the blocks of text; softcover, "Cloth-like" with three stapled sheets, making ten interior pages; a cover with elegant town mouse in a red suit with a red and white ruffled blouse and a meek country mouse in a shawl and mobcap; 9.75x12.75"
The town mouse changes her outfits frequently and tries to show her country cousin a good time. Marvellous bright colours in this large version of Hays' book. Hays' animals have some of the wit and irony of Felix Lorioux, although her people do not. Please note: THIS BOOK HAS BEEN SOLD
CONDITION: Very Good, tiny wear to corners and rub along spine; shallow 1/4" high margin chip for half inch on front, pages darkening.
#17361
$20.00
2011-02-13 16:24
Platt & Munk Co.; 1943, No. 890; panorama, full coloured boards fold out to a ten foot strip; each page is 10"x approx. 8.5"; the oblong covers fold around the inner pages, which are die-cut to surround the animal pictures on the top edge; pages connected by brown muslin tape, with brown reinforced "spine"; pictures are duplicated front and back.
Bright, beautiful paintings of farm animal parents and babies which unfold to give the impression of a continuous illustration, with the barn on the front board and the farmhouse on the back. Although the paintings are not signed, this is clearly Rojankovsky's. work from the 40's, in the style of his Nursery Tales. (We also have a box of similar Platt&Munk puzzles). A guard dog, pigs, cats, horses, goats, chickens, cows, rabbits, ducks and a turkey.
CONDITION: Good Plus; board edges rubbed and corners rubbed through, top corner of front board, which has no support because of die-cuts, slightly bent, the goat page has been bent and shows resulting wrinkle on both sides, boards seem loose due to the book design, although tape is strong and only rubbed a bit at corners, not frayed or torn.
#17521
$75.00
2011-02-13 16:41
New York: Domesday Press, distributed by J. L. Schilling Co, (1945); full coloured boards fold out to a ten foot strip; each page is 10"xapprox 8.75"; the covers are oblong and fold around the inner pages, which are diecut to surround the animal pictures on the top edge; pages connected by blue muslin tape, with blue reinforced "spine"; except for the covers, 22 pictures are different front and back.
The design of this panorama allows for many different pictures: bees, a goose, a turtle, swans, workhorses, a squirrel, a guinea hen, and pigeons as well as the usual characters. The artwork is typical of this sort of book from the 40's, with detailed animals and rather plain backgrounds, but with a horse-drawn buckrake and haywagon. Unfortunately, we do not know the painter of these sweet pictures.
CONDITION: Good; edges of tape on spine quite badly rubbed, reglued tape on one board shows wrinkles, thus grade, otherwise clean and unmarked.
#17520
$30.00
2011-02-13 17:01
Akron, Ohio, USA: Saalfield Co.; (1915); two thin card shaped cream coloured pages, with full colour on outside "cover" pages and on inner spread, the other pages in blue outline and type and white accents on the illustrations; approx. 10.6x5.5"
On both covers, a large and determined mother rabbit, with red shoes and a manic expression, attacks a carrot with her paring knife; inside, on plain pages, are an assortment of publisher pictures: period drawings of clothed rabbits, on the center spread two copies from Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit (with a kindly mother!) and a naturalistic rabbit family.
CONDITION: Very Good; spine is rubbed through colour and split 1" at the bottom, exterior a bit toned, ow very bright, clean, unwrinkled and unmarked.
#17528
$55.00
2011-02-13 18:18
Whitman Publishing Co. (co. 1930) No. 678, an accordion (panorama) board book, comprised of six oblong 6x4.75" panels with illustrations on each side, thus 10 interior pages and two "covers"; on each "page" full colour plate of Wee Bear in his red jacket, the illustration bordered in blue with light blue bear drawings; the boards are joined with brown cloth which covers the red side strip, on one side except for center join which has cloth on both sides; board edges stained red.
Wee Bear just can't keep from giving everything a little taste!
CONDITION: Very Good; no names, top cover is lightly foxed and rubbed, and back cover is less so, with tiny indentation on date; wear to cover corners about 1/8"; edges clean, not scuffed; though a bit rubbed at "spine" ends, the cloth strips are sturdy and hold the panorama boards straight.
#19021
$425.00
2011-02-13 18:53
Boston: Perry Mason & Co, 1888, folded ivory card with litho: apple blossoms on front and back, maiden carrying lunch to the field and sheep and farm in the background, an 1899 calendar on the back, tied in a bow with pale green pearl cotton with gold core; two folded interior sheets have sepia lithos with some color on every page; thus 10 interior pages; 7.25x5.25; in ivory gummed envelope.
Pretty, delicate drawings, and a thin nondescript envelope, that, despite the odds, survived. The articles mentioned are interesting to read (click on a jpg to see the small print). Even this magazine advertizement offered children a nice little book as a present. Please note: THIS BOOK HAS BEEN SOLD
CONDITION: Good Plus in Very Good Envelope: foxed cover and a little foxing in the corners within, older child has improved some pictures, neatly, envelope has two tiny tears, uneven browning, and crease at top of announcement.
#19033
$15.00
2011-02-13 19:14
London: Warne, (1962); large heavy, glossy, card cover with characters in a meadow; squared spine, 8.9x11.8; np.
Outlines of the pictures from the original publisher of Beatrix Potter's books. Well done. Please note: THIS BOOK HAS BEEN SOLD
CONDITION: Very Good Plus; pages unopened and as new but cover with crease that can be felt, not seen, and with bumped corner tips.
#19054
$18.00
2011-02-13 19:25
Akron, Ohio: Saalfield Publishing Company, 1940; full colored board covers with cloth spine encloses a row of attached animal cards with large shaped animals; 8.7x8.5.
Big bright die cut animals, depicted on both sides of these cards and hinged with green cloth tape, so that a whole row of animals can stand up: rooster, rabbit, goat, cat, goose, sheep, dog, pig. It may be time for the fine animals in this lovely old panorama to become a nursery mobile, or the hinges could be repaired. The collectible value, though, is pretty much gone.
CONDITION: Good Minus; 1945 gift inscription inside and owner note on cover, showing he received this on his 4th Christmas, old tape repairs have been removed, leaving stains, and one hinge replaced, wear to outside corners, goose has crease in her neck and pig card has crease, otherwise the animals are very nice, flat, and clean.
#19081
$30.00
2011-02-13 19:43
Springfield, Mass.: McLoughlin Bros. Inc, (1944) #2924; thick boards, six pop-ups on card pages, oblong 10.75x7.5"
A bright, attractive copy of a wartime book with intricate pictures of the circus. One of a long series.
CONDITION: Very Good Plus; no names or other marks, spine tight and quite flat, back has lightly scuffed area in the middle, minor rub on one corner, all pop-ups working, unwrinkled, and crisp except the small join of the car hood and passenger seat on the last pop-up, repaired.
#19404
$75.00
2011-02-13 20:27
No publishing data on this copy. Probably a blank advertising sample: The Cotsen collection at Princeton has one of these with The Broadway Department Store text on the back. The book appears to be from around 1910. Three sheets of heavy card stapled making 10 interior pages. Cover with Mother seated with the many children in the background and her twins beside her, reading the poems, Alphabet Party text on verso, then two or three of each child's poems and illustrations per page, in green or red panels, plain back; 6.5x8.75"
The Alphabet Party: It was the Holiday Season and Ethel and Charles Bright were about to turn seven. Their mother proposed a toy party. Each little guest should meet her at the toy department of a big store, look over the toys, and make up a poem. The best poet would get the pick of toys. "After they got home, the children, with the help of their elders, made up their rhymes", and took the poems to read at the twins' birthday party. A very jolly red and green party book with great illustrations of 26 turn of the century toys: gramophones, wind-up lobsters, velocipedes, rubber elephants, racing cars.... Lively, bright illustrations and poems. Just the thing to encourage shopping and Christmas gift lists!
CONDITION: Good Plus, an easily erased light pencil name, two staples just beginning to rust, outside cover split to first staple, a little split at the top; darkening/even soil to back and margins; inside very fresh and bright with holiday colour.
#19299
$150.00
2011-02-13 20:32
Patented Sept 15, 1914 and July 23, 1912
Barn swallow, robin red breast, ruffled grouse, king fisher, scarlet tanager, American crow, tufted Puffin. Circle head puzzle pieces may be matched to bodies. A charming old puzzle, which I bought for a booth decoration, so I know it is one of a set of bird puzzles (The others weren't in such nice condition so I only purchased this one.)
CONDITION: Very Good: no names, darkening a little.
#19311
$6.00
2011-02-13 20:41
London: Murrays Sales & Service Co, Cresta House, Treasure Hour logo, WP4, (ca 1965?) printed in the Netherlands,; six heavy card shaped boards with coloured pictures of a farm, most labeled, on a white background, two short comb bindings, 7.5x13.8"; np.d.
A little boy and girl live on a large, cheerful, well kept farm.
CONDITION: Very Good, no names or other marks, darkening a little, faint rim of moisture damage around top of cover, visible in jpg.
#19377
$20.00
2011-02-13 20:47
No place or publisher, [US, circa 1870.] Yellow wraps. Cover: The Bad Boy and O.N.T. with seven labels, inside cover: "Use (label) on white spools/George A. Clark, sole agent [1824 - 1873]/It is/superior to all others/for hand and machine work/followed by ad for black thread"; rear cover: ad for Marshall's linen thread and Milward's Helix Needles, for which G. A. Clark was also a US agent. Paper wraps, three centered stapled sheets making covers, front and back ads, and 8 illustrated pages; 3.1x4"
Hilarious drawings by an uncredited artist. The bad boy licks all the labels off his sister's O. N. T. Clark's Spool Cotton and applies them in imaginative places! In "Big Brother gets his Girl's Picture" the brother is holding an envelope with the signature of the famous celebrity photographer Napoleon Sarony, 1821 - 1896, but opens it to find his beloved's face covered by a label. The Bad Boy's tricks are such a hit that at the end of the pamphlet, we see him writing away for more. The relationship, if any, between Clark and Sarony is puzzling. Clark died in 1873; Sarony started his photography studio around 1866, but was already well known as a lithographer, thus our [ca 1870] dating.
CONDITION: Very Good; 19th c name stamp on back, light soil in corner margins on some pages, shadowing caused by smaller object placed on top of it on front "cover"; staples nice.
#19488
$65.00
2011-04-11 12:26
Racine, WI; Whitman Publishing Company, No. 2033, no date, (ca late 1920's?); folding panorama with five boards taped with sturdy brown cloth, top and bottom edges red, side edges continue illustration paper; oblong 11x10.25; thus 10 different scenes including title; deco illustrations, most on peach background, with light green outlines in blues, greens, orange and yellow, and red highlights.
A very stylish panorama with distinctive colouration and line, well constructed. A workman pastes circus sign on a billboard as children watch, then we see the attractions of the circus, one by one. Unattributed artist.
CONDITION: Very Good Plus; no names or other marks, the two paper covered edges (1st and last boards) have tips worn to card and light rubs, top left corner lightly bumped,, tiny dent in cover, very tight overall and clean, in remarkable shape.
#19456
$195.00
2011-07-19 17:36
Munich: Zug, 1990, 1st printing. Board book cube, 2.5x2.3"; 14 pp.
A neat little cube bound at the top: each opening of reveals a small bear in a different outfit. As far as we know, the first appearance of Teddy.
CONDITION: Good; no names, clean inside; binding quite tight but cloth on one corner pulled out, (could be reglued), outside a little soiled and corner rubbed.
#6980
$15.00
2011-02-11 14:02