Ladybird books

[burlingtonbertram]

I have a couple of the 'what to look for' books, and agree they are very good, but then I think ALL Ladybird books are good.

At the moment I'm keeping an eye out for 4b in the 'Peter and Jane' series. I thought I'd found one yesterday in a charity shop, but they wanted £4.50 for it, and it had a great big sticker on the front cover, which I wasn't sure would come off without damaging the book, so I put it back on the shelf. I know it was for charity, but talk about making a massive profit, I've picked Ladybird books up for 50p in other charity shops. They had other 'collectable' books on that shelf, all over priced in my opinion.

Thanks in part to the Peter and Jane series I learnt to read at an early age (that, and my Mother putting name stickers on everything in the house).

[Courtenay]

Thanks in part to the Peter and Jane series I learnt to read at an early age (that, and my Mother putting name stickers on everything in the house).

Aww, my mum did that too - I can still hear her telling me "See, 'cupboard' looks like 'cup-board', but you say it as 'cubbard'..."

I didn't have Peter and Jane books, but the Ladybird Read It Yourself series (mainly traditional tales such as Goldilocks and the Three Bears, The Three Billy Goats Gruff, Puss in Boots, Cinderella, and the like) had a lot to do with me learning to read at an early age as well. I must catch The Ladybird Story if it's still on iPlayer!

Now, on a tangent, this is bringing back more memories - The Three Billy Goats Gruff was a family favourite, to the point where we used to love acting out that story on the bridge over the drain across the road from my grandmother's place in Melbourne. I was always Little Billy Goat Gruff (being the smallest) and my big sister was the troll!

[Enikyoga]

...the Ladybird Read It Yourself series (mainly traditional tales such as Goldilocks and the Three Bears, The Three Billy Goats Gruff, Puss in Boots, Cinderella, and the like) had a lot to do with me learning to read at an early age as well.

I liked the history series the best in the Ladybird books.
Stephen I.

[burlingtonbertram]

I picked up three nice condition historical ones last year: Marco Polo, Charles 1 and A N Other (can't recall). No particular value to them but they are pleasant.

I don't think I had the Billy Goats Gruff but I missed out because I really like the idea of trolls (the fantasy ones not the ones that lurk on websites).

[Katharine]

I think I just had story Ladybird books, but my brother had one or two of the factual ones. I had no idea until a few years ago that there were so many different series. I've just had a look at the spread sheet of my collection. I make it that there are a total of 562 of the sort I want to collect. I've listed that I've got about 120 so far, but I've probably got about another 30 that I've not added yet. So still quite a way to go. I don't have any rare 1st editions though, mostly 1970s reprints.

[Anita Bensoussane]

There was an article in The Guardian the other day about Ladybird books:

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/j ... ird-flight" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A 'Ladybird By Design' exhibition is opening at the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill, East Sussex, on 24th January, featuring 200 pieces of original artwork from "the golden age of Ladybird books" between 1958 and 1973.

Like the writer of the article, Kathryn Hughes, I was entranced by the "colour and exuberance" of the illustrations when I read the books as a youngster. They made a great impression on me - and on my children too. I hadn't known before reading the article that the illustrators were paid a flat fee rather than royalties.

[burlingtonbertram]

Since the BBC4 documentary, I have been keeping an eye out for the most evocative, period Ladybird Books. Unfortunately, everyone knows the value of them. Can't find any bargains out there

[Daisy]

I saw a good number today at about £3.00 but have seen some at lots more and a few at quite a bit less also. I don't know which are the rare ones though so can't really recognise a bargain.

[burlingtonbertram]

Things like What To Look For In Spring / Summer / Autumn / Winter are nice, popular and fairly reasonable. Others like Shopping With Mother and some of the ones about work (e.g. In A Big Store) are quite sought after (I gather). Presumably because they are real period pieces depicting a society that has already changed. For instance, I think that the In A Big Store book shows pictures of items being altered in a Sewing Room if they don't fit.

[John Pickup]

There was a dealer at the recent York book fair selling Ladybird books. He had a large selection and some of them were only £2 or £3. Some were quite tatty though.

[floragord]

The De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill-on-Sea has opened an exhibition displaying 200+ original illustrations of Ladybird Books from the late 1950's to early 1970's - we haven't been yet but next week's looking good! - it opened Sat 24 Jan and is due to run until Sun 10 May, free entry. Though we live opposite the Pavilion I just noticed it driving past yesterday

[Anita Bensoussane]

That's what the article in The Guardian was about. I hope you enjoy it if you go, Flora.

[Moonraker]

My grandson has a shelf of Ladybird's, but nothing like the ones I remember.

[Francis]

I was having a look at a Ladybird History of Oliver Cromwell. Rather interesting quote from
it "Oliver Cromwell was not a cruel man except in Ireland"!

It was like saying that the Yorkshire Ripper was kind to women except for prostitutes.

[Courtenay]

Not quite as bizarre as the apologetics pamphlet I once picked up which claimed that the Spanish Inquisition was on the whole quite humanitarian, but...