EVERYTHING I NEED TO

KNOW I LEARNED FROM

A LITTLE GOLDEN BOOK:
GROWN-UP ADVICE ON
MODERN LIFE FROM
VINTAGE CHILDRENS
BOOKS
A charming compendium of little reminders about what it takes to
live a happy and fulfilling life today.

From 'Circus Time' by Marion Conger, illustrated by Tibor Gergely, 1948

As an enormous lover of vintage childrens books, I was

instantly smitten with Everything I Need To Know I Learned From
a Little Golden Book (public library) a semi-serious, playful
and practical guide to life culling wisdom for modern grownups from the iconic Little Golden Books series of mid-century
childrens books. From mental and physical health to money to
relationships, this charming compendium captions and reframes
vibrant vintage illustrations many by artists whose talent
was cultivated under legendary childrens book champion
Ursula Nordstroms magnanimous wing as little reminders
about what it takes to live a happy and fulfilling life today.
The project is in many ways an organic extension of the Little
Golden Book ethos, which has sustained generations through
troubled times with creative nourishment for young souls. This
compendium offers heartening solace for those weary of the
hardships our world is currently facing. Diane Muldrow,
longtime editor of the beloved childrens series, writes in the
introduction:
Weve been forced to look at ourselves and how were living
our lives. Ironically, in this health-conscious, ecologically aware
age of information, many of us have overborrowed, overspent,
overeaten, and generally overdosed on habits or ways of life
that arent good for us or for our world. The chickens have
come home to roost, and their names are Debt, Depression,
and Diabetes.

From 'The Seven Sneezes' by Olga Cabral, illustrated by Tibor Gergely, 1948

How did we get here? How, like Tootle the Train, did we get so
off track? Perhaps its time to revisit these beloved stories and
start all over again. Trying to figure out where you belong, like
Scuffy the Tugboat? Maybe, as time marches on, youre
beginning to feel that you resemble the Saggy Baggy
Elephant.
Or perhaps your problems are more sweeping. Like the Poky
Little Puppy, do you seem to be getting into trouble rather
often and missing out on the strawberry shortcake in life?
Maybe this book can help you! After all, Little Golden Books
were first published during the dark days of World War II,
and theyve been comforting people during trying times ever
since while gently teaching us a thing or two. And they
remind us that weve had the potential to be wise and content
all along.
From 'Duck and His Friends' by Kathryn and Byron Jackson, illustrated by Richard Scarry, 1949

From 'Animal Gym' by Beth Greiner Hoffman, illustrated by Tibor Gergely, 1956

From 'The Three Bears,' illustrated by Feodor Rojankovsky, 1948

From 'I Can Fly' by Ruth Krauss, illustrated by Mary Blair, 1951

From 'The Color Kittens' by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Alice and Martin Provensen, 1949

From 'The Friendly Book' by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Garth Williams, 1954

From 'Tawny Scrawny Lion' by Kathryn Jackson, illustrated by Gustaf Tenggren, 1952

From 'The Little Red Hen,' illustrated by J. P. Miller, 1954

From 'The Musicians of Bremen,' adapted from Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, illustrated by J. P. Miller, 1954

Everything I Need To Know I Learned From a Little Golden Book

is an absolute delight. Complement it with some actual Golden
Books, including I Can Fly by the great Ruth Krauss, illustrated
by Disneys Mary Blair, a lovely adaptation of Homer for
young readers by creative power duo Alice and Martin
Provensen, and perhaps the best of the bunch, The Little Golden
Book of Words.

A humorous "guide to life" for grown-ups! One day, Diane

Muldrow, a longtime editor of the iconic Little Golden
Books, realized that, despite their whimsical appearance,
there was hardly a real-life situation that hadn't been
covered in the more than 70-year-old line of children's
booksfrom managing money, to the importance of
exercise, to finding contentment in the simplest things. In
this age of debt, depression, and diabetes, could we adults
use a refresher course in the gentle lessons from these
adorable books, she wondereda "Little Golden guide to
life"? Yes, we could! Muldrow's humorous yet practical tips
for getting the most out of life ("Don't forget to enjoy your
wedding!" "Be a hugger." "Sweatpants are bad for
morale."), drawn from more than 60 stories, are paired
with delightful images from these best-loved children's
books of all timeamong them The Poky Little Puppy,
Pantaloon, Mister Dog, Nurse Nancy, We Help Mommy,
Five Pennies to Spend, and The Little Red Hen. The Golden
greats of children's illustration are represented here as well:
Richard Scarry, Garth Williams, Eloise Wilkin, J. P. Miller,
and Mary Blair, among many others. Sure to bring
memories and a smile, this book is a perfect gift for baby
boomers, recent grads, lovers of children's literatureor
anyone who cherishes the sturdy little books with the shiny
cardboard covers and gold foil spines!