When I began looking through blog posts about children’s books I came across many comments from readers about certain books they were looking for from childhood. They could remember the story, or elements of the story, but not the title! My hope is, that the more of these lesser known titles that I list, the greater chance of them being the book you’ve been looking for!
Please let me know in the comments if any of these were the ones!
Story about a boy who goes to live with relatives over the holidays. He and his cousin and her dachshund get into mischief while enjoying the snow-filled Austrian/Swiss holiday traditions.
Written & Illustrated by Ludwig Bemelmans (known for Madeline)
Story about a boy who goes to live with his aunts in Salem, Massachusetts. He finds himself homesick for China and in an attempt to return befriends a local boy who misleads him and steals his aunts’ diamond.
Written by Clyde Robert Bulla. Illustrated by Robert G. Henneberger. Clyde Robert Bulla has written many books along this same vein.
Paco, a Peruvian orphan from the hill country, ventures to Lima and is drawn to a pair of vicunas that graze the lawn at the presidential palace.
Written by Helen Rand Parish. Illustrated by Leo Politi (Song of the Swallows)
About a boy who is shrunken down to size and spends a summer in a beehive, witnessing and learning all about bee activity.
Written by Thomas Keneally. Illustrated (with gorgeous woodcut illustrations!) by Stephen Ryan. You may recognize Thomas Keneally as the author of Schindler’s List.
Rufus is a story about a boy who, orphaned along with his sister, is left behind at the orphanage when only his sister is adopted by a loving family who does not adopt him. He is introduced to an ancient magic knife which transports his conscience to a previous life, where he was part of a nomadic tribe.
Written by Catherine Storr. Illustrated by Walter Dower. Catherine Storr is better known for her Clever Polly and Stupid Wolf series.
Sweet story of a prim and proper “city dog” who travels to countryside where she gets dirty and has fun for the first time, and finds a new owner who treats her as more than an ornament.
Written by Dorothy K. L’Hommedieu. Illustrated by Marie C. Nichols. Dorothy K. L’Hommedieu wrote a bunch of story books centering on dogs (of varying species), such as Rusty, the Little Red Dachshund and MacGregor, the Little Black Scottie.
A little boy is hesitant about leaving the city for the country, but soon realizes that he can speak to the country animals he meets, and learns much from them.
Written by Elizabeth Gordon. Illustrated by John Rae, Elizabeth Gordon wrote quite a few books focusing on her love for nature, such as Bird Children, Flower Children, Mother Earth’s Children, The Turned-Into’s: Jane Elizabeth discovers the Garden Folk and more.