In addition to reading children’s books, I also like to read about children’s books. I just finished reading Golden Legacy by Leonard S. Marcus, a book all about the history of Little Golden Books. And when I say all about the history, I mean ALL about the history.
This book is SO rich in detail. It has information for everyone with any interest in Golden Books whatsover, whether it’s behind-the-scenes dirt about the publishing business, the origins of your favorite Little Golden story, or biographical information about the many talented authors and illustrators who have been published by Golden Books over the years.
It’s obvious from reading this book that Marcus, an expert in children’s literature, did extensive research, including the use of letters, memoirs, and interviews of scores of people connected with Golden Books. I have to admit that at times during the reading of the book I felt a little bogged down by the overload of information. But it was worth it to discover interesting little tidbits, like the fact that Golden Books illustrator Eloise Wilkin designed a doll in the 1960’s that was high on Nikita Khrushchev’s shopping list when he visited the States for a United Nations summit during the Cold War.
But the absolute best thing about this book is the treasure trove of illustrations and book covers reproduced from the many, many Golden Book archives. The artwork brought back so many wonderful memories from my childhood reading.
As a child, my favorite Golden Book was probably
The Monster at the End of This Book.
What was your favorite Golden Book?
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