If you were to guess which children’s books hold the top slots for all-time sales, which would you pick? Perhaps The Tales of Peter Rabbit, or Green Eggs and Ham? While both of those have been big hits through the years, they are not the best-selling children’s book of all time – that honor goes to The Poky Little Puppy!
Published in 1942, The Poky Little Puppy was one of twelve books released by Simon and Schuster in their series Little Golden Books. The books initially sold for 25 cents, at a time when children’s books normally sold for $2-3. The premise was to provide “a colorful children’s book that was durable and affordable for most American families.” The books were also sold in department stores – a new concept in selling that further enabled access to the books to all. Even today, the books can be purchased for $2.99! In 2001, Random House acquired the Golden Books line for 85 million dollars. There are now more than 600 books in the series.
The Poky Little Puppy was written by Janette Sebring Lowrey, a Texas native (1892-1984). She wrote dozens of books for children and young readers from the 1930s through the 1970s. The book was illustrated by a Swedish artist, Gustaf Tenggren. Tenggren worked for Simon and Schuster for twenty years, producing 25 books, many of which also sold millions of copies. Many of these books carried the prefix "Tenggren's" before the title as a kind of quality mark; a warranty that the tale was interpreted by an authority in the area of illustration. Despite the success of these books, neither Sebring nor Tenggren is well-known to the general public for their work.
The quilt shown here was made for my sister Pam’s birthday last year. It’s my first try at using prairie points for the edging – my verdict is that they are tedious, but add a nice border to the quilt!
Published in 1942, The Poky Little Puppy was one of twelve books released by Simon and Schuster in their series Little Golden Books. The books initially sold for 25 cents, at a time when children’s books normally sold for $2-3. The premise was to provide “a colorful children’s book that was durable and affordable for most American families.” The books were also sold in department stores – a new concept in selling that further enabled access to the books to all. Even today, the books can be purchased for $2.99! In 2001, Random House acquired the Golden Books line for 85 million dollars. There are now more than 600 books in the series.
The Poky Little Puppy was written by Janette Sebring Lowrey, a Texas native (1892-1984). She wrote dozens of books for children and young readers from the 1930s through the 1970s. The book was illustrated by a Swedish artist, Gustaf Tenggren. Tenggren worked for Simon and Schuster for twenty years, producing 25 books, many of which also sold millions of copies. Many of these books carried the prefix "Tenggren's" before the title as a kind of quality mark; a warranty that the tale was interpreted by an authority in the area of illustration. Despite the success of these books, neither Sebring nor Tenggren is well-known to the general public for their work.
The quilt shown here was made for my sister Pam’s birthday last year. It’s my first try at using prairie points for the edging – my verdict is that they are tedious, but add a nice border to the quilt!
Marsha-
ReplyDeleteI remember the Little Golden Books well. My Grandma read them to us before we could read. I read them to my little sister. In the seventies I remember some of the books came with companion cassette tapes. My son inherited my sister's collection twenty-five years ago. I added to it and when he outgrew them, they found homes with nieces and nephews. I don't know of a lot of expensive toys that were loved as much and had that much longevity. My son's favorite was Tawny Scrawny Lion.
Loquatia, that sounds like a treasure trove! Those books have made good memories for many of us. Thanks for reading and commenting!
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