How our catalogue works:
Same Book, Many Covers
Ever the thrifty recyclers, Little Golden Books have reissued hundreds of their more popular titles over the decades. A very few have retained their original covers from then to now — Tootle comes to mind — but most have received frequent makeovers across the years. Our listing aims to include all covers of all titles, whether the changes be as subtle as a different title font, as vaguely noticeable as a different background color or as extreme as an entirely different illustrator. In some cases, the same title will also have a different author, as in the case of Old MacDonald Had a Farm, and other traditional tales. (And in very rare cases — like with Words (1955) and Words (1974) — the books share a title but are entirely different.)
However, in cases where a book was re-released with a different number — for example, Animal Dictionary #379 (1960) was reissued in 1977 as #533 — but the cover underwent no overhaul, then only the first edition will be listed, though the reissue will be noted. For more on Little Golden Book numbering insanity, see NUMBER.
Hover over the gallery image to see the book number(s) (where applicable), the year of publication, any alternative titles and the series and/or genre into which the books falls.
Tie-in Titles
Almost from the very beginning, Little Golden Books embraced the media tie-in. From Mickey Mouse to Bugs Bunny and from Band-Aids to McDonald’s, an overwhelming number of the titles published each year are adaptations of assorted popular culture icons (and would-be icons).
Here, our alphabetical listing only include the media property to which it relates if it is an inextricable part of the title. For example, Donald Duck and the Mousketeers is listed under “D”, but Adventure at Beggar’s Canyon, a Star Wars tie-in, is listed under “A”.
