Best of
Picture-Books

1962

Nutshell Library


Maurice Sendak - 1962
    Endless adventures await in these lyrical stories that children, and their grown-up readers, will love reading and sharing over and over again.A wonderful stocking stuffer or baby shower gift, Maurice Sendak's Nutshell Library will evoke powerful memories for many, and the rhymes and stories continue to speak to new generations of little ones.And if you prefer your Nutshell Library books on their own and not quite so tiny, each is also now available in a board book edition.

Pierre: A Cautionary Tale in Five Chapters and a Prologue


Maurice Sendak - 1962
    Young Pierre, whose favorite line is I don't care! changes his mind after meeting a hungry lion. Three-color illustrations.

The Best-Loved Doll


Rebecca Caudill - 1962
    For a doll contest at a party, a little girl chooses to enter a doll that seems least likely to win a prize.

Chicken Soup with Rice: A Book of Months


Maurice Sendak - 1962
    Maurice Sendak, the Caldecott Medal-winning creator of the iconic Where the Wild Things Are, created a warmly loved classic book of months, in verse, with Chicken Soup with Rice.This rhyming book cleverly uses a little boy’s love for soup to teach children the months of the year and features Sendak’s imaginative drawings and lyrical verses.Who says you can only slurp chicken soup with rice in cold January or freezing December? Chicken soup with rice is nice all year round!

The Snowy Day


Ezra Jack Keats - 1962
    Universal in its appeal, the story has become a favorite of millions, as it reveals a child's wonder at a new world, and the hope of capturing and keeping that wonder forever.The adventures of a little boy in the city on a very snowy day."Keats's sparse collage illustrations capture the wonder and beauty a snowy day can bring to a small child."—Barnes & Noble"Ezra Jack Keats's classic The Snowy Day, winner of the 1963 Caldecott Medal, pays homage to the wonder and pure pleasure a child experiences when the world is blanketed in snow."—Publisher's Weekly"The book is notable not only for its lovely artwork and tone, but also for its importance as a trailblazer. According to Horn Book magazine, The Snowy Day was "the very first full-color picture book to feature a small black hero"—yet another reason to add this classic to your shelves. It's as unique and special as a snowflake."—Amazon.com

The House on East 88th Street


Bernard Waber - 1962
    The first book in the Lyle series, this tells the story of how the Primms found Lyle the crocodile in the bathtub of their new home.

The Blueberry Pie Elf


Jane Thayer - 1962
    The minute Elmer had a chance he jumped right into that rich, melting pie and ate till his elfin stomach bulged. It was delicious, and Elmer wanted another one right away. But nobody can see an elf, or hear an elf, or feel an elf, so none of his people knew he was trying to tell them something.Then, when Elmer was unhappily sampling cherry pie, he had an inspiration! But, dear reader, we can't give the ending away. Let's just say that Elmer's ingenious solution satisfied his craving for blueberry pie and, being a polite elf, he thanked his people.Elmer has been the most appealing and industrious elf around for nearly fifty years, and he'll continue to delight children for generations to come. Seymour Fleishman's charming illustrations transform our familiar household world into the tiny world of elves.

One Was Johnny: A Counting Book


Maurice Sendak - 1962
    ‘One was Johnny -- but that's not all, count all the others who came to call.'

Gus Was a Friendly Ghost


Jane Thayer - 1962
    Mr. and Mrs. Scott and their twins, Susie and Sammy, lived there too during the summer. Then autumn came and the Scott family left. Which meant Gus had nothing to do but sit around. One day, during a walk, he met Mouse, who was cold and hungry. "Come spend the winter at my house!" cried Gus.Thus begins an unlikely but heartwarming friendship. First published in 1962, children have delighted in this story and other Gus the Ghost books for over fifty years. Seymour Fleishman's sweet, nostalgic illustrations bring Gus, the Scotts and Mouse to life.

The Dragon in the Clock Box


M. Jean Craig - 1962
    Joshua recycles the clock box his mother brought home, to house a dragon's egg.

The Seven Ravens


Felix Hoffmann - 1962
    

The Little White Hen


Anita Hewett - 1962
    

Dear Dragon . . . and Other Useful Letter Forms for Young Ladies and Gentlemen Engaged in Everyday Correspondence


Sesyle Joslin - 1962
    

A House for Everyone


Betty Miles - 1962
    

Surprise In The Tree


Sara Asheron - 1962
    

Hans and Peter


Heidrun Petrides - 1962
    Hans lived at the top of the house, Peter at the bottom, and the only place they could meet was in the dingy back yard. They dreamed of the wonderful house they would build when they grew up...but growing up takes such a long time. Then one day they found an abandoned builders' hut, and suddenly the dream began to come true. With the help of Mr. Dingelmeyer, the builder, Mr. Painter, and Mr. Chimney-sweep, but chiefly through their own courage and hard work, they turned the hut into a house even more beautiful than the one they had dreamed about.

Little Old Bear


Hilda van Stockum - 1962
    He comes to believe that nobody wants him and wonders why he was ever made. All he wants is a name again and a friend and a home--and to give great joy in his old age.

The Horse That Liked Sandwiches


Aliki - 1962
    

Ivor the Engine


Oliver Postgate - 1962
    A charming tale of a train engine who wants to sing in the local choir.

Andy and the Runaway Horse


Jane Thayer - 1962