Christmas Bookshop

The Little Golden Books, which initially sold for 25¢, were published by Simon and Schuster in cooperation with the Artist and Writers Guild, Inc. headed by Georges Duplaix. Duplaix had initially thought up the idea for the Little Golden Book series and fleshed it out in conversations with officials at Simon and Schuster. Dr. Mary Reed a professor at the Teachers College of Columbia University served as initial editor of the series. Western Printing and Lithographing Company in Racine, Wisconsin, was Simon and Schuster's partner in the Little Golden Books venture. Western handled the actual printing. In 1958, Simon and Schuster sold its interest in Little Golden Books to Western.

Ownership and control of the series has changed several times since. In 2001, Random House acquired Golden Books for about 85 million dollars.

Although the Little Golden Books have remained the backbone of the product line, the enterprise that produced the Little Golden Books has created a variety of children's books in various formats including records, tapes, videos, and even toys and games (the fourth and fifth as "Golden & Design"). Some titles have appeared in several different formats (including but not limited to "A Golden Book"). Although the details have changed over the years, the Little Golden Books have maintained a distinctive appearance. A copy of The Poky Little Puppy bought today is essentially the same as one printed in 1942. Both are readily recognizable as Little Golden Books. At the time of the golden anniversary, Golden Books claimed that a billion and a half Little Golden Books had been sold.

Some Little Golden Books and related products have featured popular children's icons from other media, eg. Sesame Street, the Muppets, Disney, Barbie, Power Rangers, etc. Television and movie tie-ins have been particularly popular. Over the years Hopalong Cassidy, Cheyenne, Lassie, Rin Tin Tin, Captain Kangaroo, Mister Rogers, and even Donny and Marie have appeared in Little Golden Books.

Many have dealt with nature and science, Bible stories, nursery rhyme, and fairy tales. Christmas titles are popular every year. The fact that many old titles remain in print shows the strong nostalgia appeal of Little Golden Books.

 (1904-1987) Eloise Wilkin's career covered more than fifty years, involving illustration and writing, free-lance drawing, and doll design. After graduating from The Rochester Institute of Technology, Eloise Burns and her friend Joan Esley moved to New York City where they hoped to have a better chance at careers in illustration. In 1935, Eloise married Sydney Wilkin and soon began a family of four children. She illustrated over 20 books with her sister Esther, who also married a Wilkin. In 1943, she was offered a contract with Simon & Schuster and worked almost exclusively for Little Golden Books until 1961.

Richard Scarry was an author and illustrator of children's books for over thirty years. Born on June 5, 1919, he died in 1994 at the age of 75. He published over three hundred hundred books. A very private person, he gave few interviews over the years.

Richard Scarry was born in Boston. His father owned a store, and the family lived in comfortable circumstances, even during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Scarry was raised in the atmosphere of love, care and respect, which is reflected in his books. From 1939 to 1942 he studied art at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts School. He served in the army as an art director, editor, and writer of information publications in North Africa and Italy.

In the 1950s Scarry illustrated and wrote for Little Golden Books. Several of his books were written by Kathryn Jackson and Patsy Scarry. Gradually his animal characters started to behave more like real people, and the drawing became much looser in style. In 1959 he moved with his family from Ridgefield, Connecticut, to Westport.