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Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield (1916)? B is for Betsy by Carolyn Haywood (1939)?
B62 is the Betsy series by Carolyn Haywood.  The little sister is Star, the policeman is Mr. Kilpatrick.
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Betsy and Billy
I vaguely remember a book about a girl whose newborn baby sister was named "Star" (or "Starr"). I think the mother let the girl name the baby, and that's the one she came up.

Carolyn Haywood, Betsy's Little Star, 1989.  Originally published in 1950. Part of one of my favorite series.
In my haste, I answered Betsy's Little Star, which is incorrect. The book where Star is born and named is Betsy and Billy. This one was originally published 1941 and has just been reprinted.
Haywood, Carolyn, Betsy's Little Star, 1950.
Carolyn Heywood, Betsy's Little Star.  One of the Betsy series books.
Haywood Carolyn, Betsy's Little Star, c.1950.  This is approximately book six in a series of Betsy books. Betsy tells her mother that what she wants for Christmas is a baby sister. When the sister is born on Christmas day Betsy is allowed to select the name.
Carolyn Haywood, B is for Betsy, 1950.  There are several Betsy books, starting with B is for Betsy.  I don't remember which one Star was born in, but I think it was the first one.  Betsy got to name her.  Some of the other Betsy books are:  Betsy Plays School,  Betsy and the Circus, Betsy's Busy Summer, Back to School with Betsy, and Betsy's Little Star, which is Star's story.
Carolyn Haywood, author and illustrator, Betsy and Billy, 1941.  The older sister is Betsy, and she's the protagonist of the Betsy series by author/illustrator Carolyn Haywood.  There are twelve titles in the series: "B" is for Betsy, (1939);  Betsy and Billy, (1941); Back to School with Betsy (1943); Betsy and the Boys (1945); Betsy's Little Star (1950);  Betsy and the Circus (1954); Betsy's Busy Summer (1956); Betsy's Winterhouse (1958); Snowbound with Betsy (1962); Betsy and Mr. Kilpatrick (1967); Merry Christmas from Betsy (1970); and Betsy's Play School (1977, illustrated by James Griffin).  The two girls are also featured in a collection of Ms. Haywood's short stories, Summer Fun (1986), and Star finally got her own book in 1987, Hello, Star (illustrated by Julie Durrell).  My local library doesn't have the entire series, but I seem to remember that Star is born during Betsy and Billy, after Betsy makes a special Christmas wish.  In Betsy's Little Star, Star is ready for kindergarten.
Haywood, Carolyn, Betsy's Little Star. NY Morrow 1950.  Not that I've ever read this series, but I'm guessing it's either this title, about Betsy and her little sister Star, or one before it, since Star is 4 years old in this one. Probably one of the many fans of the books will pin it down!
Hi ~ This sounds like one of the Betsy books. There are several titles, and I have no idea which one has Star's birth in it, but it seems that Betsy's baby sister arrived at Christmas and was therefore named Star.
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Snowbound with Betsy
Looking for book I read around 1977, young adult - family celebrating Christmas gets snowed in and another family has to stay with them. The children are all crabby about this until they discover a trunk in the attic containg craft materials and they make all their own presents since they can't go out and buy. They discover "true meaning of  Christmas" I *think* the main character might have been named Betsy?

There is a Betsy's Christmas in Lovelace's Betsy-Tacy series, I think.
Carolyn Haywood, Snowbound with Betsy.  This is definitely the book, we just finished reading it.

Interpreting Condition  Grades

Haywood, Carolyn.  Betsy and Billy. Odyssey Classics, 2004.  New paperback reissue.  $6

Babes in the Wood. This sounds like it must be a version of Babes in the Wood. This Wikipedia article provides more information here
Babes in the Wood. Dying in a pile of leaves sounds like Babes in the Wood(which I have always believed is not a fairytale but a real incident which took place in 17th century Norfolk). Parents died leaving two kids in the care of an uncle, along with money for their upkeep and more in a trust for when they're older. The greedy uncle told his servants to take the kids into the woods and kill them. The servants left them in the woods hoping they'd make it on their own or be adopted. Their bodies were discovered later, covered with leaves.
Babes in the Wood. The old children's tale Babes in the Wood ends with the little brother and sister dying and birds covering their bodies with fallen leaves. Could this be it?
You got it!!  I am amazed...  What a unique and special service you have.  Thank you.  I have wondered about this book for many years and had convinced myself that it was a figment of my imagination.  When I ran across your webpage, I had to try it.  And about a week later, you had it pegged.  Now, to find the book...Thanks again!

Robert Lieberman, Baby, 1981. Some are moved to rapturous tears. Some hear only the promise of untold riches. Some think she is a carefully orchestrated hoax. Some think she is a miracle.
Yep, that's definitely the one! Thanks again to a great website & great readers.

Andrew Ward, Baby Bear and the Long Sleep. 1980. Mother and Father Bear want to get on with their winter hibernation, but Baby Bear is slow to catch on. Cute story with illustrations by John Walsh.
Andrew Ward, Baby Bear and the Long Sleep. 1980. If your book could have been published as late as 1980 this one's a possibility.  Baby bear has difficulty settling down for the long winter sleep.
You found it! It is Baby Bear and the Long Sleep by Ward. Thank you!

I know that story!  It was in my second grade reading book in the Wake County Public School System in NC around 1978 or 1979.  The reading book was turquoise.  I wonder if school systems keep any type of record of the reading books issued to students?  I hope this helps.
B3: The Baby Beebee Bird by Diane Redfield Massie, 1963  (the bird in the zoo that says bee bee constantly and keeps the other animals awake)

Yeah!!! I am very impressed with your service! I have been searching for this book for months in Los Angeles area bookstores with no luck. Leave it to a hard-working Clevelander to find it for me!! I'm originally from Cleveland. You're in Shaker Heights, aren't you?? I actually used to be a FedEx courier in your area!! I can't wait to come visit your store when I come to the land of Cleve this summer!!!   Thank you very much for your excellent service! Now I KNOW WHERE TO TURN FOR HARD TO FIND BOOKS!!
FYI: This book is back in print.  An edition illustrated by Steven Kellogg is offered this month by the Children's Book-of-the-Month Club.   The illustrations look wonderful.

Interpreting Condition  Grades

Massie, Diane Redfield.  The Baby Beebee Bird.  Harper & Row, 1963. Weekly Reader Children's Book Club edition.  Small oblong, slight stain on cover, otherwise VG.  $15

Manushkin, Fran, illus. Ronald Himler, Baby, Come Out! 1984.
Fran Manushkin, Baby, come out, 2002, reprint. B142 is definitely Baby, Come Out by Fran Manushkin being republished by Star Bright Books in 2002.  The original title was Baby and was published in 1972 by Harper and Row.
Fran Manushkin, Baby, Come Out!,2001, reprint.  This charming book, illustrated by Ronald Himler, was recently reprinted. 

Carol Brink, Baby Island, 1948.  This could be Baby Island.  There's two girls Mary and Jean who are wrecked on an island with several babies.  They are on their way to Australia, so the island is tropical.  The girls must survive adventures and care for the babies.

Terris, Susan, Baby-Snatcher, 1984.  I'm not sure, but it sounds a little like Baby-Snatcher, by Susan Terris.  The father in that case is a sculptor, and there doesn't seem to be a mother around.  There's some mystery about if the man is actually the father though...
It is Baby-Snatcher by Susan Terris.  I looked for a copy of the book online and read the book intro to my friend.  As soon as she heard that the lead character's name was Laurel, she shouted "That's it!  That's the book."  Thank you very much for helping to solve this 10 year old mystery.  Now I'm curious and want to read the book!

Willo Davis Roberts, Babysitting is a Dangerous Job.  I'm sure this it the answer!  The oldest girl is babysitting three younger children  two boys and a girl.  The children are parents are wealthy, and a father-son team kidnap them and hold them in the attic of an old house.  The babysitter and the oldest boy figure out that there is a trapdoor to the cupola, and they get the other kids out that way. I think it just came back into print. 

Stan Berenstain.  Possibly from the Berenstain Bear series?  Check out The Berenstain Bears and Too Much T.V. or The Berenstain Bears and the Bedtime Battle.
No, it definately wasn't a Berenstain.  But thank you
B376 Sounds like it could be BAD MOOD BEAR by John Richardson, 1987,1988~from a librarian
That sounds so familiar, its got to be the one.  It was  originally recommended by a school librarian who worked in the bookstore, how fitting the answer comes from another librarian. Thank you so much

THE BAD TIMES OF IRMA BAUMLEIN by Carol Ryrie Brink, 1972. Irma lies and says she has the largest doll in the world, and that it has cerulean blue eyes.
C53 -- not sure about the cerulean blue eyes, but a girl stealing a mannequin because she's boasted about having a large doll occurs in Carol Ryrie Brink's Bad Times of Irma Baumlein.
C53 is, I think, a book I have, but haven't read, called Irma's Big Lie"  It was originally called The Bad Times of Irma Baumlein and was written by Carol Ryrie Brink.  Scholastic published a copy of it in 1972.
C53- I think this is The Bad Times of Irma Baumlein by Carol Ryrie Brink.
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1975-1985.  A girl protagonist has a friend who gets a really nice doll which the protag covets.  She wants a really impressive one, too.  Her grandmother? gives her a very old doll that smells like moth balls and has little pearl teeth.  The protag hates her and one day sees a mannequin in an alley? downtown and sneaks out at night to steal her.  So now she has a really big impressive doll but is afraid she will get caught with it.  In the end she returns the mannequin and learns to love the old doll named Miss Beatrice? or some old-fashioned name.

M120 Carol Ryrie Brink, The Bad Times of Irma Baumlein, 1972.
sounds like Carol Ryrie Brink's Bad Times of Irma Baumlein, about the girl who steals a store mannequin because she's bragged about having an impressive doll.  (A description of the Brink book should be on the
"solved" page, because it's  been asked about before.)
#M120--Mannequin as a doll:  This sounds like The Bad Times of Irma Baumlein, by Carol Ryrie Brink.  The only other example I can remember of a girl using a mannequin as a doll was on an "Adam-12" episode.  Officers Malloy and Reed got a "possible dead body" call and found a mannequin.  It turned out "Mrs. Juniper" was the only friend of Melissa, a neglected little girl.  The creepy, Twilight-Zoney aspect of this incident made a lasting impression on me as a child.  It made a lasting impression on Officer Pete Malloy as well.  This was one of their few cases he ever referred to in a later episode!
I think this must be The Bad Times of Irma Baumlein by Carol Ryrie Brink. (The Scholastic paperback version used the title Irma's Big Lie.) She steals the mannequin from her family's department store.
Carol Ryrie Brink, The Bad Times of Irma Baumlein, 1972.  Irma brags that she has the worldest largest doll.  Her aunt gives her Bertha Evangeline Esther Peebles, who smells of camphor balls, has has "peeping out from [her] tiny mouth ... two small teeth like the tiniest pearls on a graduated necklace."  She takes a dummy from a window display because it, like the doll she has claimed to own, has "hair the color of ripe oranges" and "eyes [that] were cerulean blue."  It's on the solved mysteries page.
I think this is The Bad Times of Irma Baumlein by Carol Ryrie Brink. Irma lies about having the biggest doll in the world and at one point steals a mannequin from an alley.
M120 it's THE BAD TIMES OF IRMA BAUMLEIN by Carol Ryrie Brink, 1972. Her Great-Aunt Julia gives her the doll with pearl teeth, but she needs a mannequin to prove that she has the biggest doll. ~from a librarian

Interpreting Condition  Grades

Brink Carol Ryrie.  The Bad Times of Irma Baumlein.   Illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman.  Macmillan, 1972, first edition. Ex-library copy with usual marks.  G/VG.  $12

Back Home, Michelle Majorian.
On your "solved" page the description for the book Back Home by Michelle Magorian is almost completely inaccurate.  In Back Home, Rusty has just returned to post-WW II Great Britain from her "family" in the US with whom she had lived very happily.  She has a dreadful time trying to fit in with her staid British relatives and the horrific British boarding school to which she is sent by her grandmother.  At the end of the novel her mother leaves her father and moves Rusty to a much more pleasant day school near their new home.  I am absolutely certain of my description, because I own the book and just reread it recently.  Perhaps the original requester confused two different books?
"Rusty Dickinson was sent to the United States from England at the age of seven in 1940 to survive the war. When she returns in 1945, she finds a country and a family she neither understands nor likes, and vice versa.A marvelous look at the complexity of mother-daughter relationships." —ALAN Review.  Similar theme, but Back Home deals with the transition back to high-class Britain, while the stumper seems to be looking for a book about the transition to low-class America.  Back Home was also written in 1984, too late for this request?

W92: Baba Yaga's house, most likely. I remember (from the early-mid 1970s) that the stories about her in Jack
and Jill were almost certainly original stories, not old Russian ones - such as the story about an evil blonde fairy
who recites the Chant of the Moon and almost conquers the world, only to be stopped by the good Baba Yaga,
who, in Russia, is not normally portrayed as good. Sorry that I can't tell you where to find the stories besides the
magazine itself.
This sounds like a Baba Yaga story.  Russian Folk tale with many variations.  The chicken legged house is shown
in some book illustrations.  maybe try Patricia Polacco.
Yes, I remember Jack and Jill used to have Baba Yaga stories in it.
Joanna Cole, Bony-Legs, 1988.  This book has the witch living in a house on chicken feet. It is based on the Russian Baba Yaga tale. The little girl being chased by the witch is Sasha. She is aided in her escape by the witch's cat and dog.
The Children's Better Health Institute, the current publisher's of "Jack and Jill" magazine confirmed that there have been as many as 25 original Baba Yaga stories over the years. Each of the stories were published in installments of around 6-7 parts. They can provide a list of the stories and when they were published if you want to try to find a library that might have the particular issues, or for a fee, the publisher can make copies.

Balian, Lorna, Bah! Humbug?  1977.  This is the book. The teddy bear's name is Herold and he gets a new fur coat from Santa. Little Margie is the one who writes the letter, while her brother Arthur sets a trap to try to catch Santa. He fails, of course.

BALEFUL BEASTS & EERIE CREATURES introduction by Andre Norton, stories written by various authors. The stories are "Patchwork Monkey", "Yamadan", "Monster Blood", "Tigger", "Spell of Spirit Stones", "Night Creature", "To Face A Monster", "You Are What You Eat" and "Nightmare in A Box" This last one is the one you are recalling about the box that came with the warning not to open it, and a monster inside that quickly grows. ~from a librarian 

B52 there's Little Pink Ballerina by Ronne Randall, Penguin Ladybirds, but it seems to be 1997 or 1998, so unless it's a reprint, no go. Or All Tutus Should Be Pink (Hello Reader, Level 2) by Sheri Brownrigg, Meredith Johnson (Illustrator) published 1992, but an Amazon reviewer speaks of reading it as a little girl, so may be a reprint.
more suggestions: Adele de Leeuw,  Maria Tallchief: American Ballerina Champaign, Garrard 1964 hardcover, many photos, designed for younger readers, ballet, Native American Children. Little Ballerina a Rand-McNally Elf Book 1958, the little girl on cover is in white tutu outfit, in front of a red curtain.
B52 ballerina red: perhaps a better shot is Ballerina Bess By Dorothy Seymour, illustrated by Harry Devlin,published Wonder Books, 1965. The illustrations are line drawings with red, and Bess is shown in a red outfit
throughout. 

This is the Shoes series by Noel Streatfeild..
I went to my local library, and I found both the books by just looking through their stacks. They were old and yellowing, but still intact.  The name of the book with the three girls, who actually didn't have different talents but all were ballet dancers, is Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfield.  She (and I thought it was a man!) had a whole little series of "shoe" books...
I’ve sent an email about other books and I though you could help me with this one.  (By the way, your sight is so amazing, I love it!).  This is a story set in a boarding house of a sort.  It’s about three or four little girls who are adopted…I don’t know who by.  And they take ballet lessons…possibly music lessons.  It’s about 300 pages long, I think.  I remember all of the girls were very different, i.e. hair color, temperaments, talented differently.  I think they were trying to get it to appeal to all different girls.  I would say I was around 12 when I read it and that would’ve been in 1985, so it had to be published that year or before.  I’m pretty sure the book ended with a dance recital at the end.  Anyway, it moves through the girls’ lives from the time they are small until they are 17 or so.  I can’t remember anything about it.  I just remember how much I enjoyed it.  Any help would be much appreciated.
Oddly enough, this is also the book that is used as a “book stumper” in the movie "You’ve Got Mail", and Meg Ryan answers the question through her tears for the customer of the mega-chain bookstore after the demise of her small independent bookstore.
Also re Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfield. The three girls were called Pauline, Petrova and Posy and were all adopted by Great Uncle Matthew (Gum). He went away collecting fossils, so they called themselves the Fossil
children. Sylvia and Nana looked after them, and when Gum disappeared they had to let out rooms in the house to make ends meet. The girls were sent to stage school where Pauline became an actress and Posy a ballet dancer. Petrova hated it and wanted to become a mechanic. At the end Gum came back and Pauline and Sylvia went to Hollywood, Posy and Nana joined a ballet company and Gum and Petrova settled down so she could learn to be a mechanic. They reappear again in The Painted Garden (called something like Theatre Shoes in the States I think). It was published in 1936. Noel Streatfiled also wrote White Boots (about skating), Apple Bough, The Circus is Coming and many more in a similar vein. They were all retitled Shoes.

Gardner.  Maybe A Child's Bestiary?
Bev Nevers, The Balmy Bestiary.
Bev Nevers, The Balmy Bestiary
Bev Nevers, the balmy bestiary.   I am pretty sure this is it!

There are four: Bambi, Bambi's Children, Bambi & the Butterfly and Bambi: Friends of the Forest

Legge, David, Bamboozled. (1994) This is the book. Granddaughter visits her Grandfather and notices that something isn't quite right (actually, lots of things, in the pictures). It turns out that he's wearing mismatched socks.
David Legge, Bamboozled.  DEFINITELY this book...there can't be two books with crazy pictures and mismatched socks on a grandpa.
David Legge, Bamboozled. (1994, approx)  Maybe this one. "A young girl narrates, in a simple and ironically naïve text, her visit to her grandpa's house, where "something seemed odd." Actually, lots of things are odd: a giraffe peers around the front door, a necktie hangs out of Grandpa's mailbox, a floor lamp grows out of a plant pot . . .  The shaggy-dog joke is that Grandpa has on mismatched socks, making it seem like everything else is completely normal for this happy pair.
Happily, yes that is the book.  I got a copy in the mail yesterday & my daughter is pleased as punch!  Thanks so much.  Happy reading!

C186 Sound like a Babapapa book, most likely BABAPAPA's ARK by Annette Tison & Talus Taylor ~from a librarian
Annette Tison, Barbapapa's Ark, 1974.  This is one of my favorites.  I had forgotten all about it until I saw it one day in a
thrift shop...then it all came back!  The Barbapapa family watch as humans pollute the earth and make all animals sick.  They sadly decide to build a rocket ship/ark and blaslt off to colonize another planet (or the moon?).  The people on earth eventually notice that all the animals are gone, and they clean up the earth. Then the Barbapapas realize that it's safe to go home again.
C186 Tison, Annette; Taylor, Talus. Barbapappa.  Xerox Education Pub, 1970, Weekly Reader. Tison, Annette; Taylor, Talus. Barbapapa¹s new house. Pan Books, 1972 .
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I had the book in the early eighties. It is about this family of these gourd shaped blobs, bigger at the bottom, smaller at the top. There is a mom, dad, and between 5-8 children in different sizes. They build their homes out of mud and they pack it around the father as a mold, he's really big. The trouble starts when these other things make trouble with them and they have to fight. They fling this sticky goo at them and the family wins. The book was cool because it showed crosscut views of inside their home and the siblings all had different interests. The book was a paperback in black and white. I don't know the author or title, that's my problem. I want to get this book for my little girl because I liked it so much and I think she may as well. I don't know if it is even in print anymore. Please help.

B269 This sounds like one of the Barbapapa books by Annette Tison and Talus Taylor.~from a librarian
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It was a children's book (70s?) about a family that all looked like blobs, for lack of a better description.  They kind of reminded me of that character "Shmoo" (I think his name was) on that cartoon with the Rock man and Ghist Rider or something, but with arms.  Each family member had a different characteristic and was a different color.  The name Barbarella seems to stick in my head. In the story, the earth is beautiful in the beginning, and by the end it is so polluted the family gets on a rocketship and leaves.  I remember the illustrations being very detailed and colorful. I think there was also a 2nd book where I remember them having homes that looked like big white domes stacked on top of each other.  Any guesses?

Annette Tison and Talus Taylor, Barbapapa.  This sounds like the Barbapapa books (and cartoons for tv).  They have their own website:  http://www.barbapapa.fr/gb/barbapapa.html.
Barbapapa, 1970, approximate. I am pretty sure you're looking for the Barbapapa series of books.  He's a big purple alien blob with a family of little multi-colored blobs. If you search for the word "Barbapapa" you will find the books.  Hope this is it!
Annette Tison and Talus Taylor, Barbapapa, 1970s.  Probably one of the books from this series - there were also some TV cartoons.
Annette Tison & Talus Taylor, 1970's.  Maybe the Barbapapa books?  Each one is a different color and they're each into different interests - artist, weightlifter, etc.  Barbapapa / Barbapapa's Ark / Barbapapa's New House / Barbapapa's Voyage.
One of the Barbapapa books? See Solved Mysteries.
SOLUTION- Barbapapa (French for cotton candy.)  <website> This specific book is Barbapapa on Mars.  I can't find anything English, only French the original language they were written in.
Even though it's listed as solved, I thought some more info might help.  The particular Barbapapa book in which the animals and Barbapapa's family
leaves Earth because of pollution is BARBAPAPA'S ARK, and it was translated and printed in English.
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It was probably from the very early 80's or possibly late 70's.  There was a purple or purplish-blue mother/female character who resembled a cross between Grimace and a bowling pin.  She had a happy face and a crown of flowers on top of her head.  It was like a family of these creatures in different shapes and colours but I remember her most...For some reason we think she was like a Mother Nature type thing...the story I remember was some sort of a spill in the water like an oil spill, it was bright pink and they had to clean it off the sea creatures and birds...and catch the bad things/people that made the pollution.  I believe her husband or the important male was a type of king.   I wish I could remember more, it would be easier to find then, yeah?  Anyway, I had a toy of her as well, so i know it wasn't just some sketchy nothing book.

Annette Tison and Talus Taylor, Barbapapa.  This has to be a Barbapapa book!  I'm not sure which one it is but it must be a Barbapapa!
Written and illustrated by Annette Tison & Talus Taylor, Barbapapa series, 1970, approximate.  http://www.barbapapa.fr/gb/barbapapa-family.html
Barbapapa.  This must be one of the Barbapapa books, probably about Barbamama. Not sure which one, but a list of the books can be found here: http://www.barbapapa.fr/gb/catalogue/introduction.html.
Annette Tison and Talus Taylor, Barbapapa, 1970, approximate.  THIS IS IT!!!! For sure, most definitely it!!!! Thank you so much everyone!!! Called my mom and she thanks you too!!!  The character I had was Barbabelle, and I'm still trying to figure out which book it was that I remember, but THANK YOU!!!!
Annette and Tayler Tison, Barbapapa's Ark, Barbapapa's New  House, 1975, approximate.  These are definitely the 2 books, I had rolled them into one memory, but once my mom and I looked at the pictures, we remembered!!  Thanks so much, once again.

Interpreting Condition  Grades

Tison, Annette and Talus Taylor. Barbapapa.  Xerox Education Publications, 1970.  Weekly Reader Children's Book Club edition.  Hardback, cover slightly soiled.  VG.  $12

Enid Blyton?
I am almost certain that this must be the Barnaby Littlemouse series by Racey Helps.  They were my mother's
favourites when she was little, and were passed on to me.  There were several animals - including Barnaby
Littlemouse, Torty, Nubby Tope the mole, Hoppy Spadge the sparrow and Mr Cunningleigh-Sligh the fox.
Torty first appears in "Little Mouse Crusoe" where Barnaby is shipwrecked and meets Torty on a desert island.
When they get away, Torty goes home with Barnaby. The titles I have are: Little Mouse Crusoe - 1948 Barnaby in Search of a House - 1948 Footprints in the Snow - 1946 The Upside Down Medicine - 1946 Tippety's Treasure - 1949 Barnaby Camps Out - 1947 My Friend Wilberforce - 1947 They are published by Collins, and are labelled as costing 3s 6d on my copies! Hope this helps the person looking for them,

L11- Sounds like Danny Beaver's Secret (Little Golden Book #160)
Many thanks for your email - I had quite given up ever hearing from anyone!  That COULD actually be the book I am looking for. I was sure that it was a Golden Book, but Golden themselves couldn't help me with the vague information I gave them. Now all I have to do is find someone with that book, so that I can read some of it and check on "Am I strange looking......" I will get back to you when I track it down and if it IS the one I am looking for, then you will receive a HUGH hug! This search has gone on for years.
According to my LGB reference guide, Danny Beaver's Secret was written by Pat Scarry and illustrated by Richard Scarry in 1953.
I emailed a few spots on a book list and a Holly Everson answered me today to say that the book Danny Beaver's Secret that you suggested is not the one I am looking for. I asked her to check the story and see whether the lines I quoted were there, but she said no.  Oh, well.....back to the drawing board. I am not going to give up. Someone somewhere will know what it is. My most profound thannks to you for your trouble anyway. If you ever come across it, let me know, PLEASE???
Ruth Dixon, Bartholomew the Beaver, 1952.  Wow, I picked this book at a garage sale today for my little one.  I was reading through it and I came across THE line:  "Am I scary-looking?  Is my fur ruffled?  Are my whiskers on end or what?" and I KNEW that I had the answer to a real "Stumper".  The book is a Tip-Top Elf Book published by Rand McNally in 1952. It's about a lazy little beaver named Bartholomew.  His mother and Father try to teach him important beaver things, but all Bartholomew wants to do is play.  His mother and father were disappointed in him so they leave to go home and Bartholomew walks away "to see what he could see."  A chipmunk hits him in the head with some nuts and calls him lazy.  Bullfrogs see him and immediately jump into the pond. That's when the little beaver says  "Am I scary-looking?  Is my fur ruffled?  Are my whiskers on end or what?" He ends up going home and likes being a busy beaver.
Some time ago, I posted a request on your web site for a book similar to a little Golden Book, which had the recurring line "Am I strange looking? Is my fur ruffled? Are my whiskers on end or what?" and was about a small furry animal (beaver, otter,??) I had given up any hope of ever finding this book as I have been searching for about 30 years. Tonight I just happened to type in the recurring line on my search engine, and it brought up your web site (which I had forgotten) and someone has given me the answer to my query. I would like to thank that person from the bottom of my heart. She (?) has solved the thing which has been bugging me for years, and I couldn't be happier. If you have any way of forwarding on my thanks to her, I would be most grateful. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU, and I just love you heaps!!!!  Thanks for a wonder ful site! Regards from Tasmania.

N. Gretchen Greiner,A batch of the best: stories for girls, 1970.  These are the stories in the book:  Little sister will lead you, by P. Smith.--Sunday afternoon, by L. V. Payne.--Not exactly Carnaby Street, by J. W. Pugel.--The friends, by S. O'Bryan.--The sensational type, by S. S. Pugh.--The blue promise, by L. Strehlow.--Mr. Dillon rides again, by L. K. Sample.--The gift by the wagon, by D. M. Johnson.--Blessed event, by M. Sellars.--A Christmas tradition, by L. K. Sample.--My friend Carol, by M. Blyth.--The real me, by P. Carlson.
Solved!  Thank you so much for the help! Any chance you have a copy of this book for me?

Sheckley, Robert, The Battle, 1954.  I'm about 80% sure this is Sheckley's "The Battle" -- if so, it first appeared in an sf magazine in 1954, was collected in Sheckley's second story collection, CITIZEN IN SPACE, and has been anthologized in THERE WILL BE WAR, vol. 1 (ed Jerry Pournelle, Tor pb 1983) and WORLDS OF IF: A RETROSPECTIVE ANTHOLOGY ed. Fredrik Pohl et al (Bluejay tp, 1986)  it was also reprinted by Sheckley in a couple of his later collections, IS THAT WHAT PEOPLE DO? and COLLECTED SHORT STORIES OF ROBERT SHECKLEY, VOLUME 1.
I'm the person who suggested Robert Sheckley's The Battle as the story asked about in R127.  I've now found one of my copies of the story and confirmed that's the one described, so I'll boost my "80% sure" to 100%...

Not the Zork What Do I Do Next books, though.
Hoban, Russell, The Battle of Zormla, 1982.  Maybe, but I don't think so.  The title is close, but LC's summary is "The Empress of Zurm and others receive invitations to a battle from Zormla and his select squad of one-eyed teddy bears."
McDaniel, Lurlene, Battle of Zorn, 1986.  This book was published in Worthington, Ohio by Willowisp Press
and is 96 p. long (from a librarian)

Chalmers, Mary.  There's a Harry the cat series by Chalmers, possibly your book is one of these:  Be good, Harry  1981, ©1967 "When Harry's mother goes to visit a sick friend, Harry takes all his toys and goes to stay with someone else for the first time."  /  Throw A Kiss, Harry "Harry climbs on top of a tall building and must be rescued by a fireman."  /  Merry Christmas, Harry "Harry the cat is delighted when Santa Claus brings him his Christmas wish."  /  Come To the Doctor, Harry  "Harry Kitten learns that a trip to the doctor is nothing to fear."
The book you are looking for might be one of the Harry books by Mary Chalmers. Harry is a cat & many adults in these stories are cats as well. They are very sweetly drawn & told.
Mary Chalmers, Be Good, Harry. (1967)  That is the book!  Thank you so much for solving it in less than a week! Now, if only the book weren't so rare...
Chalmers, Mary, Be Good, Harry. Definitely Be Good, Harry, and yes, it's a sweet book.

I know this is on the Solved Mysteries page somewhere....  let me get these posted first....
S334 BE NICE TO SPIDERS by Margaret Bloy Graham, 1967~from a librarian
Margaret Bloy Graham, Be Nice to Spiders, 1967.  When Billy left his pet spider, Helen, at the Zoo, the animals suddenly became happy and contented. The lions snoozed all day long, the elephants enjoyed their baths, and the zebras ate their hay in peace -- all because Helen was spinning webs and catching flies.  But one day Helen's webs were swept away. The Keeper had the cages cleaned for the Mayor's inspection tour. Soon the flies were back again and the animals were miserable once more. But not for long...
Margaret Bloy Graham, Be Nice to Spiders.  I believe this is what youre looking for.  The pictures remind me of Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion.  [that's because both are illustrated by Graham.]

#B69--Beacon Readers:  I've gathered a little more information on these. They were written by James Fassett and appeared in a number of editions.  The version I want was in at least six volumes.  The first two volumes were divided into two books, the third I'm not sure of, and from volume 4 on seem to be in one book each.  Titles are: Book 1, Part 2--At Play Book 2, Part 1--Old Dog Tom Book 2, Part 2--Little Chick Chick  Book 4--Careful Hans Book 6--William Tell

#B69--One more comment on the Beacon Readers:  I find almost no copies listed of the 1950s paperbacks I am after, but an awful lot of the early (1912-1921 or so) hardcover Beacon Readers.  If anyone has these I'd like tables of contents to see if they contain the same materials as the later
ones.
#B69--More on Beacon Readers:  Book 3 is The Pancake.  Animal Folk Tales, a 1916 hardcover Beacon Reader, contains some of the stories I want, so I'd be glad to get it if I can't find the paperback version.
Book 5 is Briar Rose, and I finally acquired lovely copies of the correct editions of all the books except Book 1.  I still don't know the title of Book 1, Part 1, and I need copies of it and Book 1, Part 2, At Play.

Book 1, Part 1 is At Home. Now that we know all eight titles, this can be moved to the "Solved" page. This was published in paperback by Ginn in 1955 and had gone through 45 impressions by 1960, so you wouldn't think it would be totally impossible to find.  Thanks so much.

This is the Beany Malone series by Leonora Mattingly Weber.  These are hard to find in decent old copies, but they've recently been reprinted by a small independent press and I have some on order.  Contact me to reserve a copy!
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Beanie Malone (her real name may have been Celia) was an adolescent girl who had freckles and was always trying to come up with ways to get rid of them.  As I recall, there was more than one book.  I loved reading about her family, adventures and travails.

There's a whole series, and they've been reprinted!  Please visit the Most Requested Pages for more on Lenora Mattingly Weber's Beany Malone series.

I never actually read this, but I have a suspicion it's Bear Party (1951) by William Pene du Bois. I DID read Bear Circus, which is also illustrated by him - there may be other books of his about the koalas too. He was so amazingly sweet, old-fashioned and dignified all at once - even in his simplest lines of dialogue. Not to mention the way he drew the koalas.
William Pene duBois, Bear Party
William Pene Du Bois, Bear Party, 1951.  "Great color illustrations for a small tale of Koala bears, which won the Caldecott Honor Book Award 1952. Portions of this book were first published in LIFE Magazine. An early, and delighful work - set in Koala Park where real teddy bears live in trees - and where one day, no bear remembers why, they became angry with each other and stopped playing and talking. The wise old koala bear hopes a costume party will change things, but, after a splendid time, anger grows again. Bright, detailed pictures complete the story."
William Pene du Bois, Bear Party, 1951.  Set in Australia in Koala Park.  Bears aren't speaking to each other and can't
remember why.  The wise old bear throws a costume party to break the ice and it goes from there. I have a new Puffin Books edition.

Jörg Steiner, The bear who wanted to be a bear, 1977.  "A huge factory replaces the woodlands around a hibernating bear who, on awakening, must prove he is indeed a bear and not a lazy worker."
Frank Tashlin, The bear that wasn't, 1962, 1995.  "After hibernating for the winter, a bear wakes up to discover that a huge factory has been built over his cave and that nobody believes he is a bear."
The Bear That Wasn't.  I had this on a record when I was a kid, but it's actually not a book but a cartoon. The refrain they keep repeating is,"You're a hairy man who needs a shave and wears a fur coat." There may have been a book made from the cartoon, I suppose. Some information on it is here.
B182: Have I got info for you! It's The Bear That Wasn't, 1946, written and illustrated by Frank Tashlin, writer, animator, director and producer. Also the author of the 1950 The Possum That Didn't   (smile, that is) and the 1951 The World That Isn't.  He worked with Bob Hope, the Marx Bros, Jerry Lewis and directed "The Girl Can't Help It" with Jayne Mansfield and Little Richard. However, some feel that The Bear That Wasn't, while very funny, is really more for adults while slightly sad for kids - it's cynical, after all. Some think it's a bit political, too! It was made into a 10-minute cartoon by Chuck Jones in 1967. In 1976, Jorg Steiner and Jorg Muller wrote a slightly different book version called The Bear Who Wanted to Be a Bear. Not much humor in that one.
Additional note: Frank Tashlin wrote (in 1952?) The Turtle That Couldn't. He was also the director of at least a dozen Porky Pig cartoons, some Bugs and Daffy, and many more.
B182 Steiner, Jorg. The bear who wanted to be a bear.  illus by Jorg Muller. Atheneum c1977.  bear forced to work in factory because no one believes he is a bear.
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I'm looking for a book which I remember reading about 1950. I was in Washington DC at that time, if that helps.  It was about a bear who goes to sleep (hibernates) and during the winter a factory is built over his hibernation cave.  When he awakes in the spring he finds himself inside the factory, and tries to get out (as best I remember).  People keep asking him who he is and he says "I'm a bear" and they keep repeating "Bear?  No, You are just a man in a fur coat who needs a shave" and he goes through a series of levels in the company repeating the same phrases.  I can't remember if he finally gets out of the factory, but I think finally the president believes him. I'd love to find the book again - talk about favorite childhood memories!!  I heard about your website this weekend on a Delta flight from London.  Hope you can help!!

Frank Tashlin, The bear that wasn't, 1962, 1995.  "After hibernating for the winter, a bear wakes up to discover that a
huge factory has been built over his cave and that nobody believes he is a bear." See Solved Mysteries for more.

B53: Bears In---Bears Out by Catherine Barr, 1967.
B53: Yes, that's it! Thanks.
Bears In - Bears Out, written and illustrated by Cathrine Barr, published Walck 1967. "The beguiling story of two bear cubs who become sightseers in Yellowstone Park when they stow away in a family car. Ages 4-7." (HB Feb/67 p.16 pub ad)

Cameron, Eleanor (Frances Butler), The Beast With the Magical Horn.
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read in 1983 about a unicorn who breaks off her horn and gives to a princess who uses to heal prince, also a phoenix in story
---another request, same stumper--
I read this book around 1983.  It was a small brown hardcover book with line drawings.  It was about a princess who befriends a unicorn.  The unicorn gives her his broken horn, which she uses to heal a prince who is mortally wounded in a battle. There is also a phoenix who burns and is reborn in the tale,  and maybe some other mythical creatures like a griffen(?).  It seems that there was an evil king also.  Please help, I have searched for this book for years!

Peter S. Beagle, The Last Unicorn,1968.  What fits is the unicorn, the "princess" -- who IS the unicorn -- healing a prince with a mortal wound, and the evil king.  There is also the point that the movie version came out in 1982, possibly prompting a reissue of the book by the next year.  What doesn't fit is a broken horn, which sounds more like part of the author's UNICORN SONATA, published much later  the phoenix and the griffin, although there is a witch's carnival, where the unicorn is held captive, displaying other ersatz mythical beasts, including a satyr, a manticore, the Midgard Serpent and a real harpy.
Hi, someone suggested The Last Unicorn for my lost book,  unfortunately this is not the correct answer.  I've read The Last Unicorn, which I dearly love, but the book I am looking for has seperate characters for the princess and the unicorn.  Another detail I can remember is that I believe the princess grinds the horn into a powder and gives to the prince, and also that the phoenix burns up and is reborn.
Clifford D. Simak, Enchanted pilgrimage,1975.  The description sounds similar to this book of Clifford Simak.  Maybe this is the book you seek.  I don't believe the main guy was a prince, but it does involve a girl getting a unicorn horn and healing him.  There is another book by the same author involving a girl who rides a griffin  called "The Fellowship of the Talisman," which was published in 1978.
Michael Berenstain, Sorcerer's Scrapbook. (1981) This might be it... at one point a phoenix announces it will soon burn and be reborn, but no one is willing to pay the fee to watch.  A unicorn sheds its horn and a cup is carved from it so a duke will be safe from poisoning.  The story is told from the perspective of a somewhat incompetent wizard, I can't remember if there was a princess or not.
Eleanor Cameron, The Beast With The Magical Horn. (1963)  I think this is the one we have been looking for, found it on Worldcat after much searching.  One of my all time favorite books.  I think the reason we never found it is because the word unicorn is not in the title!

Dr. Seuss, There's A Wocket In My Pocket.  Strange creatures dwell in all corners of a boy's house, including the sink.  Rhyming.
Thanks for the suggestion, but it is emphatically not a Dr Seuss book, and not There's a Wocket in My Pocket. The illustration style, cover drawings and rhymes are completely different. Sorry!
Jack Hanrahan, Beastly Rhymes, Wonder Books, 1966. I thought this was the funniest book ever when I was a kid! I have not been able to find a copy for my own children, but have often tried recall more of the rhymes such as "The Fink". One I would tell them while out fishing was "The Monsterous Injustice" The Monsterous Injustice/Is a sneaky, dirty crook/Not only will he swipe your bait/But he'll also steal your hook!

D133 Sounds like A BEASTY STORY by Bill Martin Jr. & Steven Kellogg. Has the balloon ending as described. ~from a librarian
Joy Cowley , In a Dark Dark Wood, c.1995.  IT COULD BE THIS ONE: In a Dark Dark Wood BY: Joy Cowley, OR  In A Dark, Dark Wood : An Old Tale with a New Twist by David Carter (Author. THE LATER IS MORE RECENT. I REMEMBER THIS BOOK AS WELL.
Ruth Brown, A Dark Dark Tale.  This was a favorite at my day-care.  The book takes you into a dark dark wood, where there is a dark dark house.  Everything is dark, dark. The illustrations are quite effective. It builds up to the last page, which has a mouse. (And this mouse with big ears is shivering in his little nightgown!)
There are many versions of this story.  Besides the ones listed alredy, there's one in the All Aboard Reading series titled In A Dark, Dark House: a picture reader by Jennifer Dussling (Grosset, 1995). "Simple words, rebus pictures, and flash cards make learning to read easy and fun in this tale of a little boy in a haunted house."  Since it's a beginning reader, it's entirely possible that the words that were color words were printed in that color as you mentioned.
Bill Martin and Steven Kellogg, The Beasty Story.  Thank you so much for finding the title of the book. My niece went right to the library and checked out the book and has read it at least 10 times since then.

Constance C. Greene, Beat the Turtle Drum, 1979, copyright.  The sister's name is Joss and the main character is Kate, I believe.  I'm positive this is the one.  Joss falls from a treehouse and is killed.  She also loves horses and borrows one for a day at some point during the book.
Constance C. Greene, Beat the Turtle Drum.  It was also an after-school special.
Constance Greene, Beat the Turtle Drum.  This was made into an "Afterschool Movie" episode as well.
Constance Greene, Beat the Turtle Drum, 1976.  The girl's name is Joss, her older sister is Kate. This is the one you're looking for though.  Hugely sad, but hopeful at the end. My sisters adored this book, and could quote huge sections at the drop of a hat. It was made into an After School Special starring Melissa Sue Anderson (Mary in Little House on the Prairie.)
Constance C. Green, Beat the Turtle Drum, 1976.  details match exactly
Wow! Four people can't be wrong...I never would have guessed that title again and I didn't know it had been made into an after school special. I did a search on the internet and I'm 99.999% sure that Beat the Turtle Drum is the book I am looking for. I still have many of my favorite books from my childhood, but somehow this one got lost. Thanks so much!

Hi!  Could B106 be Beauty by Robin McKinley?  It's sort of a young adult version of Beauty and the Beast.
Mckinley, Robin, Beauty, 1978.  B106 is definitely Beauty, by Robin McKinley.  It's one of my all time favorite stories.  I have a copy of it in front of me.  Beauty's two sisters are named Grace and Hope.  Beauty's real name is Honour in this story, although she is always called Beauty.
Could this be Robin McKinley's Beauty?  Just about the best retelling I've read...
McKinley, Robin, Beauty-a retelling of the story of beauty and the beast.  I actually submitted this stumper without realising it was actually still in print -should have looked harder!
McKinley complicated things a couple years ago, two decades after Beauty, by releasing Rose Daughter--another retelling of Beauty and the Beast.  Her latest is Spindle's End, a retelling of Sleeping Beauty, in which you'll find a beautiful, throwaway line about Orpheus and Eurydice.  In McKinley's universe, Orpheus succeeded in bringing his wife home, and they were ultimately celebrated for the strength and endurance of their marriage, not for its premature termination.  One of those tears-welling-up, I-want-to-live-in-this-world moments so common in McKinley's work.  -Audrey

I believe the following is the correct book for this searcher.  This author lived in Minnesota (or thereabouts
<g>....) and wrote many books about animals such as beaver, otters, and bears.  I visited his home when I was a
girl (late 60's) and he raised many of the animals he wrote about...I remember all the otters he had at the time. :-)
Liers, Emil E.  A Beaver's Story.Viking Press, 1985.
I ought to add that this publication date I listed is obviously a re-print; I got this listing off of Bibliofind.com.  The original publication date was much earlier.  I have several of his works and they are all from the '50's and '60's, originally.  I wouldn't like this late date to steer the seeker in the wrong direction.
I'm still researching this one. <g>  Lo and behold, I had a copy on my own shelves! :   A Beaver's Story, by Emile E. Liers, first published 1958 by the Viking Press.   This story takes place in Wisconsin, and is about a beaver "couple" named Haloka and Akella, who meet when Haloka is already pregnant, form a new "family", face dangers from bobcats, trappers, and the separation caused when Akella is trapped and released in a new location,  are visited by otter "friends", and so forth.  The book is fact-based, but anthropomorphic in portrayl.  It concludes: "No beaver anywhere, Akella was sure, had a finer flowage or a more flourishing colony.  Here in the abundant Reno bottomlands he and Haloka would live out their long, productive lives, with eleven fine youngsters still at home....He remembered that he had cut the cottonwood three feet through at the butt---a beaver feat unequaled in any records--and he went on about his territorial rounds, the proudest, happiest beaver in all the Mississippi bottoms."   Hope this helps!

Florence Noiville et Alice Charbin, Bébé Jules Qui Ne Voulait Pas Naître.Gallimard Jeunesse (publishers)  Here it is in French! I assume this is the book that was translated into Englsih.

I have a book called Becky Lou in Grandmother's Days by Hazel Craig that fits this description.  I also read it in the 70's.  It is one of my absolute favorite children's books to date.  It's photographs of black and white dolls
takn with Schoenhut miniatures.  She has other friends who are dolls that are in the book.  There is also a little dog in the book.  I think it's name was Trixie.  She does do cleaning in this book to get ready for her mistress to come and pick her up.  Hope this helps.
Hi -  I went and checked the book, Becky Lou in Grandmother's Days by Hazel Craig, and she DOES clean the outhouse in the book.  Good luck.
more information on the suggested title: Becky Lou in Grandmother's Days, Story, scenes and costumes by Hazel Craig, photographs by Sam Craig, published by T.S. Denison 1961, hardbound, 9 x 11", 61 pages. "The story in the book is told by the use of photography of dolls and doll furniture and toys, very similar to the Dare Wright "Lonely Doll" books. In the acknowledgement, the author thanks Marion Wilson for the use of the kitchen chair, silk parasol, Empire sofa, Empire chest of drawers, poster bed, clown and stool, Schoenhut Dolls, pony cart, Schoenhut piano, scales, meat grinder, coffee grinder, iron and trivet, copper teapot, cream pitcher and sugar bowl, harvest table, trunk, kitchen cupboard and kitchen wares. Included in many of the photographs is a little Steiff Terrier puppy.Author's introduction: "This is a story of Becky Lou, my favorite doll, when I was a little girl like you many years ago. Little girls, then as now, dressed their dolls in dresses like their own and dollhouses had furniture exactly like real furniture of the times. Becky Lou seemed as real to me as my friends. When my friends came to visit, they played with Becky Lou. Sometimes I made up plays with scenery and charged a
penny admission. In the story of Becky Lou, I would like to re-create some of the scenes of my childhood during the early part of the century. How would you like to live without such things as television, radio, electric washers, dryers, refrigerators and irons? Can you imagine a world without supermarkets, drive-in movies, swimming pools, Christmas lights and tinsel? Can you visualize streets with horse-drawn buggies and a few old-fashioned cars and skies without the sound or sight of an airplane? Let's pretend we are on a magic carpet traveling back through the century and see what it was like to be a girl who lived a long time ago - a little girl whose experiences would have been very much like Becky Lou's in the story. These were the old-fashioned days your grandmothers and great grandmothers will want to tell you more about." Photos show the doll beating carpets, using a wringer washer, ironing, etc. Another couple of books that have photographs of dolls doing everyday activities are: THE STORY OF DELICIA: a rag doll, by Gertrude Newman, published Chicago, Rand McNally 1935. Written in the form of a daily diary from the point of view of the doll, and illustrated with many full page photos showing the life of the doll with her little girl. And: Days In A Doll's Life, by Mrs. Crosby Adams, published 1948, 21 pages. "Tells the story of Juliette, a doll, in delightful B&W photos of dolls all dressed up and posed in various daily activities."

Jennie D. Lindquist, The Golden Name Day.  This is something of a longshot but the description made me think of this book so I'm offering it up as a possibility.  This is the story of Nancy who comes to live with her "Grandparents" (really just friends of her mother) when her mother falls ill. They are of Swedish heritage and they and their extended family include Nancy warmly in all of their traditions.  There were many celebrations in the book and I vaguely remember that there might have been a floating birthday cake but I'm not at all sure about this! (It's been a while since I read it!) The plot is about Nancy wishing for a "Name Day" of her own- a Swedish tradition that she wants to be a part of.  Unfortunately, the name "Nancy" is not included on the name day lists.  It's finally resolved when they use her middle name "Wanda" and have a celebration for her on the proper day.  It is a sweet and charming book that has two sequels:  The Little Silver House and The Crystal Tree.
Tasha Tudor, Becky's Birthday
Tasha Tudor, Becky's Birthday.  I originally suggested The Golden Name Day as an answer to the stumper but after seeing another person answer Becky's Birthday I checked out that book.  That person was definitely right! Becky's Birthday has the peach ice cream and floating birthday cake-  it must be the one!
Tasha Tudor, Becky's Birthday.  I'm still pretty sure this is Becky's Birthday.  From an online source:  "On her tenth birthday, Becky braids her own hair, goes grocery shopping all by herself, helps make peach ice cream, makes a bouquet, and goes on an evening birthday picnic."
Tasha Tudor, Becky's Birthday.  Thank you so much! I honestly didn't believe that anyone would know of this book  I thought it was probably some obscure book with an author no one had heard of! I'm delighted and can't wait to track down the book. Thanks again. 

Winifred Madison, Becky's Horse,1975. This is Becky's Horse by Winifred Madison...it came out in hardcover, and as a Scholastic paperback "Becky must decide whether to keep the horse she won or take the prize money to help an Austrian cousin orphaned during the invasion of Hitler's troops"
Yes, that's it!

There was an anthology of stories that I read in the 50's as a child (it wasn't a new book then- so was probably published in the 40's). This was a Big Golden Book (I think) and had the illustrations that you described. I am also looking for this book, but I can't remember the name of it. A lot of the stories were animal stories, but there were stories involving people also.One was a story about a clown that had his nose stolen by another clown (stumper C81 talks about this story). There is a Little Golden Book that is an anthology of these stories, but there were many more in the big book. Soe of these stories were"Little Bear's Pet Boy", "A House For A Mouse", "Chatterly Squirrel's Good Day". I am in possession of the smaller book, but I am looking for the larger one - if anyone knows the name of it...
Burgess, Thornton W. , Bedtime Stories, 1959.  I am positive this is the book! There are 20 animal stories included with black and white and full color illustrations.
You may be thinking of a Golden Book called The Big Brown Bear. It was the story of a bear and his wife. It did feature a neat drawing of the bear catching a fish with his paw but then went on to have him get into a bee hive which his wife had warned him about. He ends up jumping into the river with nothing but his nose sticking out which his wife has to bandage up for him. It was a great story with neat drawings. Hope this helps.
Seton, Ernest Thompson, The biography of a grizzly, and other animal stories, 1969.  This may be the book -- my copy features a grizzly on cover, which has just killed a deer.  However, the Frontspiece is a great drawing of the grizzly catching a salmon out of the river. Other stories in book include: The Pacing Mustang -- Lobo, the King of the Currumpaw -- The Trail of the Sandhill Stag.  In Lobo, the old alpha wolf is caught in a trap, and the storyteller, who was about to kill
him, lets him out instead, but keeps him captured.  The old wolf dies from being in captivity.  In my book there is a picture of the wolf with the trap on his foot (it may have been remembered as a bandage instead, by wishful thinking!)  Some of the drawings are in color, some just black ink.
Thorson Charles, Keeko.  Wilcox & Follett Co. 1947.  [Yep, I heard the NPR story, too.] Perhaps the book in question is Keeko. Keeko, an Indian boy,  has encounters with several animals, mostly young ones,  including a bully mountain lion cub and an eaglet, and he patches  up at least one of the animals he encounters. The author/illustrator, Charlie Thorson, was famous for drawing cute animals, and I think I remember a drawing of a bear that stood out because in contrast to the other cute animals, the bear was much more realistic and scary. See also Keeko in the Solved Mysteries section for more details.
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I think the cover was dark blue, orange, and white, but am not sure.  It's a fairly thick book, with lots of pictures.  The trees in the forest talk, as well as the animals.  But all I remember clearly are the Merry Little Breezes.

M166: Sounds like one of Thornton W. Burgess' many, many books, though in at least 90 percent of them, the plants do not have thoughts, feelings, or voices. Most are about animal adventures, though there are 2 or 3 that focus more on plants. I remember one short story about witch hazel called The Disappointed Bush in one book of the Mother West Wind series.
The Merry Little Breezes are featured in some of Thornton Burgess' stories (Bedtime Stories, Green Meadow, Green Forest Series).

It does exist, I know it does and I remember tucking in the green blanket. But I'm drawing a blank on the title.
Potter, Miriam Clark, illus. Tony Brice, Bedtime Stories, Rand-McNally 1951.  I'd suggest this Tiny Elf book. It's not just kittens, but has several similaries. The stories are Three Jumpy Kittens ("Mother Cat had three little gray kittens. They had blue eyes and pink tongues. One afternoon she said to them, "It's time for your naps. Come with me." So they all went to the kittens' bedroom." They can't sleep and jump around on the furniture, "from the chest to the armchair, from the armchair to the straight-back chair, very softly so they would not wake their mother up.") and finally are tired enough for her to tuck them in right up to their noses,  Mrs. Groundhog's Grapevine ("Mrs. Squirrel had two little squirrels, Fluffy and Frisky. She washed their faces and paws and put on their best clothes. "Very soon now we shall see Mrs. Groundhog's house. It has a little white fence with a  grapevine on it." They are told "There are lots of grapes. You may eat all you want." and eat all of them. Then they are sorry and take all their money and buy fruit to tie on the vine. "The grapevine was full of things: more grapes, a few apples and plums and peaches and a carrot or two. Yes, there was even a banana."),  and Mrs. Rabbit's Birthday Cake ("Once there was a family of three little rabbits. They were Munchy, Bunchy, and Boo." While their mother is at market they bake a cake for her birthday.)
Potter, Miriam Clark, Bedtime Stories,1951.  Illustrated by Tony Brice, Rand McNally, 1951 Hard Cover. G-. A .59 cent Rand McNally Jr. Elf Book #8035. Contains three stories - Three Jumpy Kittens, Mrs. Groundhogs Grapevine, and Mrs. Rabbit's Birthday Cake.
K37: Miriam Clark Potter is also the author of the delightful The Pinafore Pocket Story Book from the 1920's.
I wanted to thank you and whoever solved my Kitten Stories bookstumper.  We've been on vacation for two weeks, so I just received my copy of Bedtime Stories.  I am on cloud nine and can't believe how fast you got a copy to me.  What a wonderful, wonderful service you provide.  You've made a middle aged housewife very happy! To the kind people who helped me solve my stumper:  Thank you from the bottom of my heart!  I am so happy to have found this book and to be able to now share it with my own children.  With a title like Bedtime Stories,  I never would have found it on my own.  What a wonderful resource this is!
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This was a small book, about 4" x 4", with a blue cover.  I think there were three stories, each with different animals. The animals all are dressed like people and act like people. The one story I remember was about a mother cat takes her 2 kittens to visit her friend who was a rabbit or squirrel. The friend tell the kittens they can go outside and eat what they want from her garden or off a bush of berries, I don't remember which.  When Mom is through visiting she goes outside and the kittens have eaten all the food.  She is extremely ashamed of them and insisted they appologize.  When the kittens get home they take all their money from their piggy bank and go shopping.  The last page of the story shows the friend's bushes around her house covered with all kinds of fruits and vegetables tied on with ribbons bought by the kittens.

Miriam Clark Potter, Bedtime Stories. 1951.  This one is on the Solved page too.
K40 Potter, Miriam Clark   Bedtime stories    illus by Tony Brice [cover is mother cat reading to kittens]    Rand McNally, 1951.

Interpreting Condition  Grades

Potter, Miriam Clark.  Bedtime Stories.  Illustrated by Tony Brice.  Rand McNally Junior Elf Book, 1951.  Binding has been reglued, minor wear to edges.  Hot demand item.  VG-.  <SOLD>

B94 bedtime story: one of the stories sounds possible - Favourite Animal Stories,  Sandle Brother 1971 Folio size 12"-15" tall, 63 pgs. "Wonderful color illustrations in this big children's book of charming animal stories." Stories include: Puffles the Teddy Bear, Billy's Long Floppy Ears, a Springtime Fairy Tale, and Tooty Hooty's Family.
I'm fairy sure the main title of this book is Bedtime Story Omnibus - I've also been searching for it for years!  It is unlikely to be an animal collection as many of the stories weren't based on animals. Other stories I recall include "Terry the flyaway towel", Choo-choo the train (illustrated by very pink and blue clouds) and a great tale about the Dragon of Wantley and a very ugly princess whom he objected to capturing!  Some of the characters kept reappearing, such as a mischievous green sprite whose name I can't remember - I think he was in poems.  The only poem I really remember began  "A little mouse hid himself under a chair / He knew of course who was sitting there - / A beautiful lady, so calm and serene / He knew (at once?) she was a beautiful queen."  I was read these stories in the early eighties but I don't know when it was published - can anyone else give any more information
HRL:   Just give it a plural:  "Bed Time" Stories Omnibus.  London: Brimax Books, 1979, 1981.  Illustrated by Eric Kincaid.

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