little golden books launched in 1942 at 25 cents each, democratizing reading for young Americans. at the time, children’s books typically sold for $2-$3 and were a luxury for many families.
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You are reading: Little golden books history
1940s
average cost: 25 cents
September 19, 1942: The first ad announcing golden little books appears in editorials weekly.October 1, 1942: simon & Schuster published the first gilt dust jacket books. the original 12 titles included:
February 1943: After only 5 months, the Little Golden Books were in their third edition, with a total of 1.5 million copies in print.1944: Walt Disney’s first Little Golden Book, via picture frame, is published.1945: Most of the original 12 Little Golden Books are now in their seventh edition.1947: the golden books are introduced in supermarkets. Within a year, you could buy little gold books in 1,200 supermarkets across the country.
1950s
average cost: 25 cents
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1950: doctor dan the bandage man opens with johnson & johnson band-aids glued to the cover. this marked one of the first companies in the joint packaging of books and products. the first printing of this title was 1.5 million, the largest first printing of a little golden book.
1951: i can fly receives honorary distinction at the herald tribune spring children’s book festival.1952: the night before christmas sales ( published in 1949) reach 4 million copies.1952: little golden books celebrates its 10th anniversary with nearly 183 million little golden books sold.1954: little golden books now They are available in most parts of the world except the Soviet Union, where they are considered too capitalistic.Mid-1950s: Best-selling Little Golden Books focused on children’s TV shows and Westerns (the roy rogers show, howdy doody, the lone ranger, davy crockett, etc.).
1960 – 1970
average cost: 29 cents (1962) – 59 cents (1977)
early 1960s: a lot of new little gold books focus on popular saturday morning tv shows like huckleberry hound, bullwinkle show, yogi bear, flintstones and bozo the clown.1967: more than 200 little golden books have sold a million copies.1969: a 9-week prime-time television advertising campaign is launched for golden little books, highlighting 3 titles by richard scarry. 1971: The monster at the end of this book is released.1974: The first little golden barbie book, barbie, is published.
1980 – 1990
average cost: 89 cents (1982) – $1.99 (1997)
1982: Little Golden Books turns 40 with more than 800 million books sold.November 20, 1986: The billionth Little Golden Book, the puppy, is printed poky .
1992: little golden books celebrates its golden anniversary: 50 years! A box set titled 12 Little Golden Books by Favorite Authors and Artists Past and Present is released.1992: To celebrate 50 years of Little Golden Books, the company gifts the Smithsonian Institution with works of art little golden books originals. it was exhibited there in 2013.1996: A publisher’s weekly article lists Poky Puppy as the best-selling children’s book of all time.
2000 – 2015
average cost: $2.99 (2000) – $3.99 (2012)
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January 2001: The Little Golden Books Classic line is launched to bring back popular older Little Golden Books titles based on consumer demand. the first 6 titles include:
2001: the classic line of little golden books wins a dr. “Best Classic Toy” AwardJanuary 2002:The Little Golden Books library now includes 1,200 unique titles.2002: Little Golden Books celebrates its 60th anniversary with over 2 one billion little golden books books in print.2004: an exhibit of original art from little golden books opens at the new york public library.2007: little golden books turns 65 Years and Random House Publishes Golden Legacy: How Golden Books Won Children’s Hearts, Changed Publishing Forever, and Became an American Icon Along the Way by Leonard S. Marcus.October 2007:The National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature in Abilene, TX, opens The Golden Legacy: Original Works of Art from 65 Years of Golden Books. the show is still on the road.september 2013: random house releases the new york times bestseller everything i need to know i learned from a little golden book by diane muldrow, editorial director of golden books since a long time ago.july 2015: random house releases 6 gold star wars booklets with a gold star wars themed spine.
today
average cost: $4.99
2017: the little golden books celebrate their 75th anniversary!
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You are reading: Little golden books history
See Also: How to Publish on Google Play Books in 2022
You are reading: Little golden books history