General Antiques and Collectibles Spring Auction
Lot 582:
Description
C-18378
c. 1940s-1950s; Little Golden Books & Rand McNally Elf Book Series Grouping of four vintage children’s storybooks featuring bright chromolithograph covers and classic mid-century illustration styles. Titles include Tootle (Little Golden Book), Burl Ives: Sailing on a Very Fine Day (Rand McNally Elf Book), The Greedy Little Pig (Wonder Books), and Snooty (Whitman). Each volume showcases the whimsical artwork and simple moral storytelling that characterized postwar children’s publishing-lighthearted, colorful, and designed to engage early readers. Publisher Histories • Little Golden Books, launched in 1942 by Simon & Schuster and Western Publishing, revolutionized children’s publishing by offering affordable, durable, and vividly illustrated books to a mass audience. • Rand McNally’s Elf Books were among their most popular postwar imprints, known for high production values and collaborations with well-known entertainers like Burl Ives. • Wonder Books and Whitman specialized in picture books and comic-style early readers during the 1940s-60s, contributing to America’s Golden Age of juvenile illustration.
Good overall for age. Light surface wear and corner softening to covers, some page toning and minor creasing. Binding on Greedy Little Pig and Snooty remains sound with mild handling wear.
Largest: 8″ H × 6.75″ W
Share this lot:
