Little Golden Books:
 The Fifties Era

By Nancy A. Meadows-Galloway

A fond memory for most children of the fifties was their first or favorite Little Golden book. Movie icons such as Old Yeller, as well as historical figures like Davy Crockett were immortalized in Little Golden Books.
 
Little Golden Books are known for the bright colors used in their pictures and also the wonderful stories that are contained inside each book.

They were first published by Random House Publishing in 1942, and sold for 25 cents each, which remained their price for twenty years. Their low price made them affordable to children at most any income level, which made the Little Golden line of books an instant hit.
 
Another reason for the success of these books was that Random House sold the books through not only bookstores but also five and dimes, and department stores.
 
The fifties saw some of histories most popular Little Golden books being published. Titles such as “The Three Bears”, “Tootles the Train”, “Heroes of the Bible”, and many Disney books such as “Santa’s Toy Shop”, were published during this time. Other Disney titles include “Snow White”, “Dumbo” and “Bambi”, although some of these were published in later years.

Many Little Golden Books were written to help children with the many different aspects of growing up. “A Book of Manners” was written to help children with the task of learning their manners and then also using them in different situations. “Susie’s New Stove: The Little Chef’s Cookbook” was designed to help younger girls develop basic cooking skills, which were a necessity for that era. This book also gave the reader simple recipes such as hot cocoa, scrambled eggs, lemonade, a peanut butter and honey sandwich, and also Pixie’s Delight, which consisted of basically making smore’s with graham crackers, marshmallows and sweet chocolate.
 
Determining the age of a Little Golden Book is at times a little tricky. With Little Golden books copyright dates are not always helpful. Sometimes it is the story that is copyrighted and not the book. Often there is no date at all to refer to. Here are a few suggestions for when you are looking for that special Little Golden Book from the 1950’s:

· The oldest books have the first printing from November 1942 with the other subsequent printings also listed.

· Some of the earlier books have an “A” inside the back cover close to the spines lower right corner.

· Several of the 39 cent editions have no edition noted anywhere, these are considered unstated first editions.
 
· The price on the cover can also help determine age in a different way. Golden Books started out with a price of 25 cents for twenty years, therefore, the books printed in the fifties have a 25-cent price on them. The price then went to 39 cents, 49 cents, 59, 69, and 89, with a few having a 99-cent price on them.

Little Golden Books have become an American icon throughout their history. Most of us can remember our first Little Golden Book and a few of us still have them. But with most cases, as children grew more attached to their Little Golden Books most books were handled so often that they barely remain intact today. To find one in good shape from the fifties is a rare treat. So keep your eyes open at thrift stores and garage sales and who knows, maybe you’ll find that special book once again...

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