In 1941, children's books normally sold for $2-$3; a luxury for many families. George Duplaix, president of the Artists and Writers Guild, Inc. (a joint interest of Simon & Schuster Publishing and Western Printing) came up with the concept of developing a colorful children's book that was durable and affordable for most American families. September 1942: Simon & Schuster publishes the very first Little Golden Book. The original 12 titles included the following:
The Poky Little Puppy, Three Little Kittens, Bedtime Stories, The Alphabet A-Z, Mother Goose, Prayers for Children, The Little Red Hen. Nursery Songs. The Golden Book of Fairy Tales, Baby's Book of Objects, The Animals of Farmer Jones, and This Little Piggy and Other Counting Rhymes.
These books were initially sold for 25 cents, and 25 cents is what I paid for each of these six vintage Little Golden Books at Berry Good Buys on West Berry Street, Fort Worth, Texas.
Little Golden Books are books to grow with. They entertain, they inform, they stretch boundaries of the imagination. Written and illustrated by some of the best children's book authors and artists, Little Golden Books are known by their gold-foil binding-and by the pleasure they bring to children.Printed in U.S.A.
