Five Things to Know About Little Golden Books | Smart News| Smithsonian Magazine

Millions of children have grown up reading Little Golden Books: a vibrantly colored children’s series populated by cute creatures and intrepid locomotives, each book encased in a shiny, golden spine. This year, reports Lynn Neary for NPR, Little Golden Books will celebrate its 75th birthday. In honor of this milestone, here are five things to know about the iconic franchise:

revolutionized the concept of a children’s book

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Before Little Golden Books was released in 1942, children’s books looked very different than they do today. As Rob Lammie of Mental Floss writes, children’s picture books often came in the form of large volumes engraved with ornate illustrations. they were sold exclusively in bookstores and cost $2 or $3, much more than most families could afford.

all that changed when simon & Schuster has partnered with Western Publisher, a Wisconsin-based publisher, to create a series of affordable and accessible children’s books. the little gold books were colorful, sturdy and, at only 25 cents each, cheap. publishers also made sure to stock the books in department stores, supermarkets, train stations, and nickel shops, thus placing them in the sight of young readers. this tactic seems to have worked, because…

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little golden books produced the best-selling children’s book of the 20th century

That would be the Poky Puppy, which has sold nearly 15 million copies since its publication as one of the original 12 Little Golden Books in 1942, according to Lammie. But this charming tale of a dessert-loving dog wasn’t the only hit from the little golden books. Titles like Saggy Baggy Elephant (1947) and Scuffy the Tugboat (1955) also sold millions of copies, placing them among the ten most popular children’s books of the 20th century. in total, a whopping two billion little golden books have been printed, according to random house kids or, as the site puts it, “enough to reach the moon.”

Artists who fled Europe during World War II found a home in the Little Golden Books

Little Golden Book publishers sought out talented commercial illustrators who had escaped the ravages of World War II, Neary writes. Among these illustrators was the Russian émigré Feodor Rojankovsky (who, when not drawing for children, dabbled in erotic art). Rojankovsky brought to life several little golden books, including Gaston and Josephine, a story about two pigs who run away from their homeland and start a new life in America.

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little golden books has taken steps to address their biases

In the 1960s, the series was criticized for not depicting any black children in a book about the Central Park Zoo, reports Jim Higgins for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. although the publishers were initially angry at the accusations, they eventually released a line of books that prominently featured black protagonists. Richard Scarry, a beloved children’s artist who started out with Little Golden Books, revised his illustrations when feminists accused him of perpetuating gender stereotypes. reprints of his books show, for example, female characters driving cars and male characters cooking in the kitchen.

little golden books has featured a lot of characters

Early little golden books focused on original characters or fairy tale creatures, but the series began to incorporate pop culture figures into its pages after securing several licensing deals. As Lammie writes, just about every kid-friendly character has appeared in Little Golden Book stories over the years, from Annie Oakley to the Flintstones to Disney Princesses (so many Disney Princesses). Donny and Marie Osmond even appeared in a 1977 little gold book called Donny and Marie: The Top Secret Project.

Seventy-five years later, Little Golden Books has gained a new publisher in the form of Penguin Random House, but the franchise has retained its spirit. New stories feature characters loved by kids today: Blaze and the Monster Machines! elena of avalor! kung fu panda!—and the classics are still being printed, allowing new generations of readers to revel in the adventures of the tiny puppy and the limp, baggy elephant.

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