Do you remember reading those books with the gold spines when you were little? Chances are that you did read a Little Golden Book growing up. They have been on book shelves for over 70 years! Speaking of shelves, did you know that being accessible to fill lots of kids shelves has been a guiding force of Little Golden books? Little Golden Books can even be found at your local grocery store! In 1942, one of the books would have cost you a quarter. Today, they are still a bargain averaging about $3.99. Not bad for a hardcover book. The covers have been graced by popular authors and illustrators including Richard Scarry, Garth Williams, Margaret Wise Brown and Eloise Wilkins. Here’s a look at some of our favorites through the decades.
Little Golden Books Through the Decades
1940’s
The Three Bears Illustrated by Rob Hefferan
1950’s
Animal Orchestra by Ilo Orleans
1960’s
Bow Wow! Meow! by Melanie Bellah
1970’s
The Monster at the End of this Book by Jon Stone
1980’s
The Curious Little Kitten Around the House by Linda Hayward
1990’s
Richard Scarry’s Busiest Firefighters Ever! by Richard Scarry
We are big fans of Richard Scarry in general. His illustrations can keep you engaged for hours!
2000’s
How the Turtle Got It’s Shell by Justine Fontes
2010’s
How Do Penguins Play? by Elizabeth Dombey
Did you have Little Golden Books as a child? Which one was your favorite? Do you still buy them for the children in your life? Please share your memories in the comments below.
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Jill says
I think I can, I think I can, I think I can! For me it was the Little Engine That Could. Golden Books have always, and will always, be on my book shelf. Thank you for linking up this week to the Thoughtful Spot Weekly Blog Hop 🙂
Becca @ The Earthlings Handbook says
Nice post! I love The Monster at the End of This Book! Other favorites from my childhood that my son also loves:
Scuffy the Tugboat and His Adventures Down the River
The Seven Sneezes
The Color Kittens
JodieRodriguez says
Those are all fun books! Thanks so much for sharing.
Norah says
Hi Jodie,
Yes, there are many wonderful Little Golden Books available at a very affordable price. When my son was young (he now has young children himself) we would buy one every week as we went through the supermarket checkout. They are better than any other treat that is often tempting for young children when parents are trying to complete their shopping with minimal fuss. As well as the books with the golden spine, we also had some with small vinyl recordings, and how wonderful they were. One of our favourites was a Brer Rabbit story with a wonderful reading and songs. I think one of our all-time favourites is one that you have pictured: “The Monster at the end of this Book”. We used to love reading it. In recent years it has been re-released with an accompanying DVD, and it once again provides much remembered joy for myself and my son, as well as new joy for his children. The love of books and reading is one of the greatest gifts a parent can give a child. Thank you for sharing.
JodieRodriguez says
Norah, thank you so much for commenting. It’s amazing how many lives Little Golden Books have been a part of!
Leslie saer says
Ive been trying for years to find a Golden Book that i loved as a child. A family wEnt on a camping trip with A cute little trailer. I Recall it was parked by a lake. Do you knoW it?
Jodie Rodriguez says
Could it have been Tommy’s Camping Adventure?
Anna@The Measured Mom says
Neat post! I loved these too. The Monster at the End of the Book was the definite favorite. Right now my kids are enjoying Mr. Bell’s Fixit Shop.
Barbara Mojica says
I too love golden books. My two children grew up with lots of them in our house. My all time favorite is The Pokey Little Puppy by Jan Pfloog.
JodieRodriguez says
Barbara, The Pokey Little Puppy seems to be a favorite among my Facebook community too!