the wonderful story of how you were born

i love the cover of this book...how the back looks like the back of the children's heads and the writing is reversed. very clever! this book actually includes the words vagina, penis, and testicles...i almost giggled like a little girl. but truly i was surprised since this book was published in 1959. this is actually a revised edition (it was originally published in 1952). i just figured everything in the '50s was storks and cabbages. the lithograph illustrations are lovely too, and it really is very informative.

the wonderful story of how you were born by sidonie matsner gruenberg
revised edition, 1959, doubleday & company, inc., new york
illustrated by hildegard woodward

scamper

i'm not a squirrel hater, i'm a squirrel lover. i don't understand people who electrocute them or purposefully run them over. you know who you are. bad squirrel karma is some mighty potent juju :)
anyways, this book is cute, cute, cute...what more can i say?

scamper by marjorie barrows
a rand mcnally elf book, 1959, rand mcnally & co., chicago
illustrated by jean tamburine

the new golden bough

this is one of my favorite books, i have about 4 different editions of it...i used it, quite a bit, to write an undergrad honors thesis on scandinavian folklore and have picked it up time to time for random information since...this is the (heavily) abridged version with a fabulous dust jacket designed by joseph low who was awarded a caldecott honor in 1981.

the new golden bough: a new abridgment of the classic work by sir james george frazer
edited by dr. theodor h. gaster
1959, criterion books, new york
illustrated by joseph low

america's wonderlands: the national parks

i'm not an out-doorsy, camping, lake swimming lover (although i do love a good bonfire)...but i do really enjoy these kinds of tourist, encyclopedic, souvenir books. this one is published by national geographic society and is all about america's national parks. this book is full of great information and tons of wonderful kodachrome photos. it's interesting to see the difference between the "modern" day environmental troubles and the pristine quality of 1959's (when this book was published) environment. i'm not an expert, but i'm sure that deforestation and erosion (not to mention marijuana farming) have made a difference in the american landscape since then. on a sunnier note, if you're into the outdoors lifestyle or plan to visit any of the national parks, this is a great starting point for some unconventional and captivating information. this edition also has a wonderful map tucked in the back!

america's wonderlands: the scenic national parks and monuments of the united states
prepared by the national geographic book service
a volume in the national geographic world in color library
third printing, 1959, the national geographic society, washington d.c.