Even more added Value; Christmas things found in books

This week as a special Christmas treat two Christmassy ‘things’ found in books.

Firstly a pretty postcard with a sad poem;

I saw the little Christ Child lie beneath a Christmas tree… he was not looking at the toys but weeping bitterly:- Sometimes he turned his gentle face, and with a piteous sigh, he watched the animals and birds all passing slowly by….the countless animals and birds. All going, past to die: - horses and calves and silent sheep; ducks, turkeys, chickens too: and lambs that, pleading looked at him and made him weep anew. By Marygold. Message on back reads ‘All kindest Xmas & 1976 wishes’ 

Found in Malcolm Saville's Seaside Book

Secondly a letter sent on the 21st December 1949;
My dear George, I hope you will approve of this birthday present, which seems to me extraordinarily good both as regards letter-press and illustrations; but if you happen to have a copy already, I could, no doubt, make use of it. I hope you have by now thrown of the gastric trouble completely. With every good wish for Xmas and your New Year. Yours P.H.O
Found in Eleanor Fortescue Brickdale's Golden Book of Famous Women

George, if you are reading this I too hope you have thrown of the gastric problem!






The two books featured in this post are now sold, thank you for your interest.

Book of the week... Rudolph the red nosed reindeer

Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer had a very shiny nose. 

And if you ever saw him, you would even say it glows.

All of the other reindeer used to laugh and call him names.
They never let poor Rudolph join in any reindeer games.

Then one foggy Christmas Eve Santa came to say:
"Rudolph with your nose so bright, won't you guide my sleigh tonight?"

Then all the reindeer loved him as they shouted out with glee,
Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, you'll go down in history! 

The illustrations above are from the original 1939 book written by Robert L May, the words are from the well-known song of the same name by Johnny Marks.

The following illustrations are from the Little Golden Books edition published in 1976. The story was adapted from the original by Barbara Shook Hazen, and the pictures were provided by Richard Scarry. 

These are two of my favourite versions of Rudolph - do you have a favourite?

Added Value: Things found in books part eighteen

Spanish dancers; embroidered postcard

Sent to Miss Young, Bath, Somerset, England. 3 ptas stamp, sadly I can’t make out the date.  Possibly 1950s?  Message reads – You won’t believe it, its raining, they have not had any now for months, we arrive and hola it rains! From Bettie and George.   

Oh dear, it sounds as though poor old Bettie and George are having a rotten time!

There is a tiny pin-prick hole in the card so I can imagine someone hastily removing it from a pin board to use as an impromptu bookmark.  Was it you Miss Young?

Found tucked inside this copy of the Whiteoak Brothers by Mazo de la Roche 

The Whiteoak Brothers is now sold, thank you for your interest

Book of the week - A home for Sam & Susie by Roz and Haz

Our book of the week this week is;

A home for Sam & Susie published by Raphael Tuck & Sons c1938 written by Roz and illustrated by Haz..

Samuel Squirrel finds a simply lovely site on which to build a new house for himself and his wife Susie. Susie is delighted and claps her paws and pulls Samuel's whiskers in a most loving way.  Then she stops… and she thinks… and she says, "Dear, it's a perfect place; but how will you build a house with no money?"

Samuel smiles and produces a large placard on which is printed...

To all my friends, please help to build our house, bring what you can on full-moon night, all welcome!

So begins this lovely story about friendship.

Mole sets to work digging the foundations; the water-rat stands by to give advice! He will be back later to fit the coconut-shell bath he found on a dump. (Note the hot and cold water pipes in the above illustration!)

Susie finds a lovely piece of bark for the front door, the woodpecker pecks' holes in three acorns to be used as chimneys and the spider spins silk for the windows. It's a little difficult putting it all together until the hedgehog offers some of his spines, after which the work goes merrily.

Sam and Susie throw a house warming party to say thank you to all their friends.

"Good luck to you, and your home, and all of us!" say Sam's friends, as they drink up their moon-dew and say good-bye.

This book is now sold thank you for your interest.


I've been unable to find out anything at all about Roz or Haz. Did they write/illustrator under any other names? What are Roz and Haz short for?  If you know I would love to hear from you. Or maybe you had this book as a child or know someone who did. 

All that glitters

I'm always surprised to find one of these vintage glitter books in original untouched condition. It’s not very clear from the photographs, but each of the figures is highlighted with glitter, as is the star on the front cover.

I loved 'glitter books' when I was a child and would assemble them in double quick time. How could any child not want to push-out and assemble a glittering Christmas crib or a Coronation coach?

I suppose the Coronation coach was purchased as a souvenir and not something to be played with – but a Christmas crib?

I am, however, very grateful to the children who left them in perfect condition for me to find and enjoy years later.     

The Christmas Story Glitter Book is now sold, thank you for your interest
Further details; The Coronation Coach here

Did you enjoy books like this when you were a child?

The winner of The Girl’s Own Book is...

I am delighted to announce the winner of the ‘first out of the hat’ giveaway is ... Jean Vogler.

Congratulations Jean you are the new owner of  The Girl’s Own Book.

The winners name being drawn from Santa's hat...

Thank you to everyone who took the time to enter.  I will be holding another giveaway in the New Year so don’t forget to enter  – someone has to win and it could be you!