Big Little Books go back way before Boomer years, yet they were a part of our culture, too.
In the sparse economic atmosphere of the Depression, in 1932, Whitman Publishing sought to find a use for paper scraps that were too small to use in magazines or standard books. Thus, the birth of the Big Little Book, 3 5/8" wide and 4 1/2" high, with 432 pages, making it about 1 1/2 inches thick. Truly, a big little book.
The books had lots of illustrations and big type, easy for a child to read. And a child could complete a Big Little Book in a day's time, proudly announcing the fact to his parents or schoolteacher.
The Big Little Books I remember were the 2000 series, produced from 1967-68. One I particularly remember owning and reading numerous times was about the Man from UNCLE. It was called The Calcutta Affair, and even though I haven't seen it in nearly 40 years, I can still recall many of the illustrations and details of the story.
Solo to Kuryakin: "You know, if you could eat an egg's shell along with the rest of it, it would be a complete meal."
Kuryakin: "I ALWAYS eat the shell."
Thus, a kid is introduced to dry humor, courtesy of a Big Little Book.
There is a killer website out there called biglittlebooks.com that is loaded with info about the diminutive volumes. In fact, they have an article on the very book I used to own here! Cool stuff.
So yes, we were known as the TV age, spending more time in front of the idiot box than any prior to us. But thanks to Whitman's Big Little Books, as well as other series aimed at kids, we were also pretty darned well read.
Comments (3)
Remember when full-color comics came in digest form? Sort of like a big little book?
Disney had a nice monthly digest-sized
paperback, amongst others.......and of course all those MAD
compilations on digest form!
Posted by scott | July 21, 2007 7:04 AM
Posted on July 21, 2007 07:04
Before my time but do remember seeing this books later on in life and in antique stores! Mom probably had some of these! She was a kid in the forties!
Posted by Rivers End | May 29, 2009 9:58 PM
Posted on May 29, 2009 21:58
Wow, I remember those now that you mention them. I recall one I had involving Donald Duck and the Beagle Boys. I remember the name Big Little Books distinctively. I marvel at memory and how it works in different ways and how it can be set off from dormancy.
Posted by Scott Irv | May 31, 2009 2:53 PM
Posted on May 31, 2009 14:53