We had these wonderful Childcraft books in our home when I was a child. Our family's edition were either the 1949 or 1954 books, which look much like the earlier 1940s editions, but inside are much different. (The major revisions to the books seems to have occurred between the 1947 and 1949 editions). My brother (who is
a rat, a thief, a great guy), has our family books. I am left to scrounge around for individual volumes that I've picked up through the years at thrift stores and flea markets.
These "orange cover" books, seem to be the coveted editions, although my research hasn't led me to which of these copyright years is the most desirable. I suppose it is the ones you like the best! I have several of all of the editions, and two different editions of volume 6. The copyright dates of these 'orange' books are 1942, 1947, 1949, and 1954.
I LOVED these books as a child. I pored through each one until I'm sure the print was entirely rubbed off. (I slightly exaggerate), but the illustrations are burned into my memory in many happy ways. I have to laugh... one story I loved to death, was Peter Rabbit. I don't recall reading the original Beatrix Potter book as a child. When I started collecting her books in my twenties, the illustrations were only vaguely familiar. But when I looked at the Peter Rabbit story in my Childcraft book, the illustrations brought back a flood of memories! I thought I'd add it here, to show you how scary Old Mr. MacGregor was!
The earliest Childcraft books had twelve volumes, of which 9 were instructional and 4 were parent guides; the later editions had 15 volumes. There were also two oversized volumes: one on art and music, and the other on science and industry.
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| The oversized Art and Music, and Science and Industry books |
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| An illustration from the Art and Music volume |
Here are some further photos of these wonderful books!
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| This is one of those illustrations that brings back so many memories! I loved these illustrations! |
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| This is the title page of my 1954 Volume 5, Life in Many Lands. It's the one I remember best. |
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| These are the endpapers of the same volume 5 from 1947, but it is called Our Own Country and Foreign Lands |
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| One of my favorite stories, Locked In, by Elizabeth Enright from Thimble Summer. |
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| An example of the earlier, more simple illustrations from the 1947 edition. |
