these are my favorite picture books that my grandparents have from when they were kids! I love checking out vintage illustrations, and I find these books very inspiring.
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Books mentioned in this video:
Toby and Sue by Romney Gay, 1937
This book is a great example of a popular trend in early children's books. Back in the day, picture books were meant to serve as an example of how children are to act. For Instance, in Toby and Sue, there are no real problems in the plot for the characters to overcome. The book is simply about a little boy looking for a present for his mom's birthday. At first he plans to pick her flowers, and then he finds baby bunnies to gift her instead. I find the vintage illustrations in this book very charming. I love the loose black brushstrokes/line-work, and the old fashioned printing where colors are visibly layered on top of each other to create new colors. I love the little girl's fashion: her red gingham outfit, yellow watering can, and white bonnet. And I find the title page of this book especially inspiring because of how the text and image flow together seamlessly.
The Poky Little Puppy by Janette Sebring Lowrey and illustrated by Gustaf Tenggren, 1942
I compared the 1943 printing to the 2002 edition of this book, and for the most part, they're the same. The pages are slightly misaligned from each other because the earlier edition starts on a single page, and the newer printing starts on a spread. The only big difference I found is there was a page from the 1942 book that was removed in the later release. This was a page about a spider going down a hill, which I speculate may have been too scary for young kids. Another big thing is the pages alternate between color and black and white in the earlier book, and Golden Books didn't introduce the golden spine until later years.
Merry Christmas, Judy! by Charlotte Becker, 1942
I love this small square book. The illustrations in this one feel very antique and representational of the era it was written. I think the limited color palette produced by the printing limitations of this time create a nice design that simplifies things. This printing also has a softer, yet vibrant quality about it. Again, I love all the character's outfits in this book. The one little girl even has a doll that's dressed to match her! My favorite page in this book combines text and image in one sentence. So, it replaces a few words with images of the thing its talking about. This creates a fun game where you can search for those objects in the full illustration.
Wee White Saddle by Ethel Hull Miller, 1944
This sweet story belonged to my grandpa, and it's actually signed by the author! Both the author and publisher are from a small town in Ohio that my grandpa lived in. I really love the "letter to the boys and girls" at the beginning of this text because of the part where it says, "ponies do not talk, except in enchanted orchards." This is perhaps the ultimate horse girl book. It even comes with a paper doll of the horse to cut out, stand up, and play with. The book includes nice black ink drawings throughout.
Little Toot by Hardie Gramatky, 1939
Out of all these books, this one has my favorite storyline. It reminds me a bit of Rudolph in the way that the character's difference becomes his superpower. I also think his name "Little Toot" is funny, and I like how this book teaches kids about the jobs of different boats. This book has beautiful illustrations and color printing. The white space on each page leaves a lot to the imagination.
The Proud Little Kitten by Muriel Lasky, 1944
This book cover has the sweetest, most cottage core, vintage illustration I've ever seen. I love the cute cat and the way she's surrounded by flowers. There is a beautiful floral pattern on the inside cover, and nice text on the title page. This is a children's book with a lot of words. I love how the illustrations wrap around the word, and each page layout is designed slightly differently. The graphite drawings in this book have a soft quality that combines realism with cartoon. My favorite thing about this one are my grandma's scribbles that she left on the last page. They have a very feminine feel, and I like how they mimic writing without actually depicting letters.
The Modern Story Book by Wallace Wadsworth, 1931
This book was probably my grandpa's when he was a boy. It's a collection of stories, mostly about engines that are overworked. My favorite one is the story of a blimp; it's interesting because in the 30s, blimps were expected to be a big part of the future. This book has a newspaper/comic feel to its overall design, and very creative illustrations.
Walt Disney's Cinderella and the Magic Wand, 1950
A cute tiny book! A princess story!
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