1 00:00:03,537 --> 00:00:05,072 - Dad, will you read me a story? 2 00:00:05,138 --> 00:00:06,673 - Sergio González: Oh, I would love to. 3 00:00:06,740 --> 00:00:08,008 How about this one? 4 00:00:08,075 --> 00:00:10,210 This is a story about the history of Little Golden Books. 5 00:00:10,277 --> 00:00:11,378 - A history story? 6 00:00:11,445 --> 00:00:12,980 Does it have magic? - Oh, even better. 7 00:00:13,046 --> 00:00:14,248 It has capitalism, industrialism, 8 00:00:14,314 --> 00:00:17,217 and war rationing. - Not again! 9 00:00:17,784 --> 00:00:19,019 - Oh, come on now, hey. 10 00:00:19,086 --> 00:00:22,155 Once upon a time, in the city of Racine, Wisconsin, 11 00:00:22,222 --> 00:00:23,323 there was a company called 12 00:00:23,390 --> 00:00:25,993 Western Printing and Lithographing Company. 13 00:00:26,059 --> 00:00:27,361 Rebecca, how you doing? 14 00:00:27,427 --> 00:00:29,363 - Rebecca Leannah: Welcome. - Thanks for having us here. 15 00:00:29,429 --> 00:00:30,631 Where are we? - We're here 16 00:00:30,697 --> 00:00:32,766 at the Racine Public Library in Racine, Wisconsin. 17 00:00:32,833 --> 00:00:34,434 And we're currently in the children's department. 18 00:00:34,501 --> 00:00:36,637 - You've got a good assortment of Little Golden Books here. 19 00:00:36,703 --> 00:00:39,106 What is Racine's connection to Little Golden Books? 20 00:00:39,173 --> 00:00:41,708 - Racine is actually where Little Golden Books started. 21 00:00:41,775 --> 00:00:45,612 So, it was started by the Western Publishing Company. 22 00:00:45,679 --> 00:00:48,715 And Little Golden Books got published first in 1942. 23 00:00:48,782 --> 00:00:51,118 - Tell me a little bit about the popularity of these books. 24 00:00:51,185 --> 00:00:53,120 I mean, we know them today as really popular books. 25 00:00:53,187 --> 00:00:56,957 Were they a big deal in 1942? - They were a huge deal in 1942, 26 00:00:57,024 --> 00:00:58,392 and especially in Racine. 27 00:00:58,458 --> 00:01:01,929 Like, the Racine community fell in love with Golden Books. 28 00:01:01,995 --> 00:01:04,831 And they are still fans of it to this day. 29 00:01:04,898 --> 00:01:07,000 Because Western Publishing was here in Racine, 30 00:01:07,067 --> 00:01:09,837 a lot of the parents were actually workers 31 00:01:09,903 --> 00:01:11,338 at the factory. 32 00:01:11,405 --> 00:01:14,441 And so, they would get fresh prints off the press. 33 00:01:14,508 --> 00:01:15,843 - Kacie Lucchini Butcher: Our story begins 34 00:01:15,909 --> 00:01:17,878 in the 1920s and '30s. 35 00:01:17,945 --> 00:01:19,980 In the early decades of the 1900s, 36 00:01:20,047 --> 00:01:23,617 children's picture books were generally luxury items. 37 00:01:23,684 --> 00:01:26,520 Around 1940, a hardcover children's book 38 00:01:26,587 --> 00:01:28,722 might cost $1.50 or $2. 39 00:01:29,690 --> 00:01:33,026 That would be about $35 to $45 today. 40 00:01:33,627 --> 00:01:35,295 - $40?! 41 00:01:36,296 --> 00:01:38,165 - This meant that many working-class families 42 00:01:38,232 --> 00:01:40,734 couldn't afford to buy picture books for their children, 43 00:01:40,801 --> 00:01:43,437 or could only do so very rarely. 44 00:01:43,504 --> 00:01:44,838 - Cat Phan: Here's where Western Publishing 45 00:01:44,905 --> 00:01:46,073 of Racine, Wisconsin 46 00:01:46,139 --> 00:01:48,041 worked with the New York publisher Simon & Schuster 47 00:01:48,108 --> 00:01:50,677 to develop a new illustrated children's book. 48 00:01:50,744 --> 00:01:52,980 They wanted to make a picture book that was way cheaper 49 00:01:53,046 --> 00:01:54,515 than the others being sold. 50 00:01:54,581 --> 00:01:57,150 It was all possible thanks to the size and expertise 51 00:01:57,217 --> 00:01:58,752 of Western Publishing. 52 00:01:58,819 --> 00:02:01,288 They could print huge quantities of books. 53 00:02:01,355 --> 00:02:03,690 This meant the books could be sold for a much lower price 54 00:02:03,757 --> 00:02:05,492 than competitors. 55 00:02:05,559 --> 00:02:06,960 - What about a Little Golden Book? 56 00:02:07,027 --> 00:02:08,295 - How many dollars is it? 57 00:02:08,362 --> 00:02:11,031 - Twenty-five cents. - Okay. 58 00:02:12,566 --> 00:02:13,901 - Nick Hoffman: When Little Golden Books 59 00:02:13,967 --> 00:02:16,436 were first introduced in October of 1942, 60 00:02:16,503 --> 00:02:18,372 they cost just 25 cents. 61 00:02:18,438 --> 00:02:22,075 That would be about $5 in today's money. 62 00:02:22,142 --> 00:02:23,677 What were the first run of books like? 63 00:02:23,744 --> 00:02:24,945 What were some of the titles? 64 00:02:25,012 --> 00:02:28,148 - So, there were 12 originally published in 1942. 65 00:02:28,215 --> 00:02:30,651 The most famous, of course, is The Poky Little Puppy. 66 00:02:30,717 --> 00:02:32,686 But we also had The Animals of Farmer Jones, 67 00:02:32,753 --> 00:02:35,055 The Little Red Hen, Prayers for Children, 68 00:02:35,122 --> 00:02:37,124 ABCs, quite a few more. 69 00:02:37,191 --> 00:02:39,293 - Could you walk us through The Poky Little Puppy? 70 00:02:39,359 --> 00:02:41,495 What's the inside of one of these books actually look like? 71 00:02:41,562 --> 00:02:42,663 - Yeah, not a problem. 72 00:02:42,729 --> 00:02:45,732 So, it starts out with, obviously, a title page. 73 00:02:45,799 --> 00:02:47,501 A lot of times with our donated copies, 74 00:02:47,568 --> 00:02:50,270 when I open it up, there'll be somebody's name in here. 75 00:02:50,337 --> 00:02:53,273 There might be some artwork that the kids drew on it. 76 00:02:53,340 --> 00:02:55,475 - And again, that's a great move by the publishing company. 77 00:02:55,542 --> 00:02:57,945 It gives you a sense of ownership over the books, right? 78 00:02:58,011 --> 00:02:59,146 And you wanna keep getting more 79 00:02:59,213 --> 00:03:00,314 and adding to the collection. 80 00:03:00,380 --> 00:03:02,115 - And then, it just, it starts the story 81 00:03:02,182 --> 00:03:04,051 and it immediately jumps in, 82 00:03:04,117 --> 00:03:07,521 and it always ends with a very nice bookplate on the end. 83 00:03:07,588 --> 00:03:09,690 And then, the back, it'll have lists of titles, 84 00:03:09,756 --> 00:03:11,725 or it'll have actual covers of other books 85 00:03:11,792 --> 00:03:13,327 that you can check out and be like, 86 00:03:13,393 --> 00:03:14,895 "Hey, do you know about this one 87 00:03:14,962 --> 00:03:16,096 in the collection?" 88 00:03:16,163 --> 00:03:18,332 - What I think is amazing is that these books 89 00:03:18,398 --> 00:03:19,733 have such a long history, 90 00:03:19,800 --> 00:03:22,002 but even for some of the books that they're publishing now, 91 00:03:22,069 --> 00:03:23,604 about, like, Minecraft the movie, 92 00:03:23,670 --> 00:03:25,806 it's still in the exact same format. 93 00:03:25,873 --> 00:03:27,608 - Yep. - The exact same style, 94 00:03:27,674 --> 00:03:29,409 so they have a very classic appearance 95 00:03:29,476 --> 00:03:32,346 that they're continuing now. - Yeah. 96 00:03:32,412 --> 00:03:34,748 - Little Golden Books may have cost only a quarter 97 00:03:34,815 --> 00:03:37,417 when they were introduced in October of 1942, 98 00:03:37,484 --> 00:03:39,786 but that didn't mean that they were low quality. 99 00:03:39,853 --> 00:03:42,322 All of the original 12 books had a hard cover, 100 00:03:42,389 --> 00:03:45,192 four-color board binding with a dust jacket. 101 00:03:45,259 --> 00:03:47,261 The books were each 42 pages long, 102 00:03:47,327 --> 00:03:49,630 with 14 pages in full color, 103 00:03:49,696 --> 00:03:52,466 and all had original artwork and text. 104 00:03:52,533 --> 00:03:54,468 A big part of the appeal of Little Golden Books 105 00:03:54,535 --> 00:03:56,103 was their low price and good quality. 106 00:03:56,170 --> 00:03:58,572 But there were other factors that helped them succeed. 107 00:03:58,639 --> 00:04:00,674 One was their wide availability. 108 00:04:00,741 --> 00:04:03,343 They were sold in department stores, convenience stores, 109 00:04:03,410 --> 00:04:04,945 and eventually supermarkets. 110 00:04:05,012 --> 00:04:07,481 When the books were first published in the early 1940s, 111 00:04:07,548 --> 00:04:10,217 the United States was involved in World War II. 112 00:04:10,284 --> 00:04:12,286 Because of the war, there were less materials available 113 00:04:12,352 --> 00:04:15,289 to make things like toys, so books became more popular 114 00:04:15,355 --> 00:04:17,424 as gifts and recreational items. 115 00:04:17,491 --> 00:04:19,092 For many parents during the baby boom years 116 00:04:19,159 --> 00:04:21,028 of the 1940s and 1950s, 117 00:04:21,094 --> 00:04:23,197 these books were an affordable alternative 118 00:04:23,263 --> 00:04:25,299 to toys or more expensive books. 119 00:04:25,365 --> 00:04:28,202 The colorful art appealed directly to children and adults. 120 00:04:28,268 --> 00:04:31,104 And Little Golden Books became a runaway hit. 121 00:04:31,171 --> 00:04:33,907 Since then, over 2 billion Little Golden Books 122 00:04:33,974 --> 00:04:35,409 have been sold. 123 00:04:35,475 --> 00:04:37,678 - Can you tell us a bit about the big puppy? 124 00:04:37,744 --> 00:04:39,112 - So, this is a marketing prop 125 00:04:39,179 --> 00:04:42,616 that the library ended up having donated to them 126 00:04:42,683 --> 00:04:43,784 a while ago. 127 00:04:43,851 --> 00:04:46,553 It actually used to light up and move and bark. 128 00:04:46,620 --> 00:04:47,821 It does not anymore, 129 00:04:47,888 --> 00:04:50,357 but he hangs out with me in the archives. [dog barks] 130 00:04:50,424 --> 00:04:52,893 - Rebecca, you mentioned you have other archival material. 131 00:04:52,960 --> 00:04:54,194 Any chance we get a peek? 132 00:04:54,261 --> 00:04:56,263 - Yeah, we can definitely go check that stuff out. 133 00:04:56,330 --> 00:04:57,664 So, we're in the local history room 134 00:04:57,731 --> 00:04:59,099 here at the Racine Public Library. 135 00:04:59,166 --> 00:05:01,702 And this is where-- This is the Golden Book wall, 136 00:05:01,768 --> 00:05:03,437 or the Western wall. 137 00:05:03,504 --> 00:05:06,173 So, all of this stuff is stuff that was produced 138 00:05:06,240 --> 00:05:08,809 by Western Publishing, or Whitman Publishing, 139 00:05:08,876 --> 00:05:11,178 which was one of its sister companies. 140 00:05:11,245 --> 00:05:14,848 And everything here is a wide variety of stuff 141 00:05:14,915 --> 00:05:16,049 that comes from them. 142 00:05:16,116 --> 00:05:18,952 Different styles of books, we've got VHS tapes. 143 00:05:19,019 --> 00:05:22,322 I've got stamp books, like what Nick is looking at. 144 00:05:22,389 --> 00:05:23,891 We've got Christmas ornaments. 145 00:05:23,957 --> 00:05:27,327 We've got catalogs, puzzles, all sorts of stuff. 146 00:05:27,394 --> 00:05:29,630 - How many Little Golden Books do you guys have total 147 00:05:29,696 --> 00:05:30,797 in your collection? 148 00:05:30,864 --> 00:05:32,733 - I know for the archive collection downstairs, 149 00:05:32,799 --> 00:05:34,701 there's over 2,200. 150 00:05:35,068 --> 00:05:36,403 In this collection here, 151 00:05:36,470 --> 00:05:39,006 I believe there's close to 1,000 titles. 152 00:05:39,072 --> 00:05:40,707 And then, the circulating collection, 153 00:05:40,774 --> 00:05:44,144 that changes on a weekly basis depending on what's ordered 154 00:05:44,211 --> 00:05:46,980 or what's lost or removed from the collection. 155 00:05:47,047 --> 00:05:50,984 So, quite a few thousand Golden Books in this library. 156 00:05:51,051 --> 00:05:52,986 - Wait, how do people make books for kids? 157 00:05:53,053 --> 00:05:54,388 - Yeah, that's a really good question. 158 00:05:54,454 --> 00:05:56,590 Let's turn the page and see if we can find out. 159 00:05:56,657 --> 00:05:57,991 - Kevin Henkes: Hi, I'm Kevin Henkes 160 00:05:58,058 --> 00:06:00,260 and I write and illustrate children's books. 161 00:06:00,327 --> 00:06:03,397 - So, Kevin, how did you become an author/illustrator? 162 00:06:03,463 --> 00:06:04,998 - I think I was born an artist. 163 00:06:05,065 --> 00:06:07,034 I drew all the time. 164 00:06:07,100 --> 00:06:09,536 And it wasn't until I was in high school 165 00:06:09,603 --> 00:06:13,607 when I had an English teacher who really praised my writing, 166 00:06:13,674 --> 00:06:16,844 and she went so far as to say, "I wouldn't be surprised 167 00:06:16,910 --> 00:06:19,246 if I saw a book with your name on it one day." 168 00:06:19,313 --> 00:06:21,682 And that really did something to me. 169 00:06:21,748 --> 00:06:23,116 It shows the power of a teacher. 170 00:06:23,183 --> 00:06:24,785 And that's when I really decided 171 00:06:24,852 --> 00:06:27,688 that children's picture books would be a perfect job for me. 172 00:06:27,754 --> 00:06:29,489 You know, I grew up in Racine, Wisconsin, 173 00:06:29,556 --> 00:06:34,661 but I felt like, through books, I could be anybody else. 174 00:06:34,728 --> 00:06:38,699 You know, experience what it feels like to be other places. 175 00:06:38,765 --> 00:06:41,668 - Walk us through the process of going from an idea 176 00:06:41,735 --> 00:06:44,605 all the way to a finished book you can hold in your hands. 177 00:06:44,671 --> 00:06:47,107 - So, first, I think for a long time, 178 00:06:47,174 --> 00:06:50,077 and then I begin writing in a notebook, 179 00:06:50,143 --> 00:06:52,646 and I write, and I rewrite, and I write, and I rewrite. 180 00:06:52,713 --> 00:06:55,749 I really want the words to be exactly right, 181 00:06:55,816 --> 00:06:57,684 the rhythm to be exactly right. 182 00:06:57,751 --> 00:07:00,654 And then I type them on my old-fashioned typewriter. 183 00:07:00,721 --> 00:07:02,122 - QWERTY typewriter. [Kevin laughs] 184 00:07:02,189 --> 00:07:04,992 - And then, I break up the words 185 00:07:05,792 --> 00:07:07,694 into what's called the book dummy, 186 00:07:07,761 --> 00:07:10,597 which is just a facsimile of a real book, 187 00:07:10,664 --> 00:07:12,833 and I'll start making sketches. 188 00:07:12,900 --> 00:07:15,802 So, here is the dummy for my book 189 00:07:18,238 --> 00:07:20,707 Kitten's First Full Moon. 190 00:07:21,942 --> 00:07:25,078 And what I do is I break up the words 191 00:07:25,712 --> 00:07:29,249 and tape them down, or write them in, 192 00:07:29,316 --> 00:07:31,785 and start doing sketches. 193 00:07:33,086 --> 00:07:36,857 And there are lots of decisions that are made at this point. 194 00:07:36,924 --> 00:07:40,093 Size of a book, the shape of the book. 195 00:07:40,160 --> 00:07:44,131 So, here you can, if you compare, you can see. 196 00:07:44,198 --> 00:07:46,133 - So, if there is someone watching this 197 00:07:46,200 --> 00:07:47,434 who wants to be an author 198 00:07:47,501 --> 00:07:50,037 or an illustrator, what advice do you have for them? 199 00:07:50,103 --> 00:07:52,339 - I think the very first bit of advice, 200 00:07:52,406 --> 00:07:55,442 which is the most important, is to read. 201 00:07:55,509 --> 00:07:57,144 And draw and write. 202 00:07:57,211 --> 00:07:59,146 I mean, you have to, yeah, you have to write. 203 00:07:59,213 --> 00:08:00,314 [all chuckle] 204 00:08:00,380 --> 00:08:02,149 - So, you mentioned you grew up in Racine. 205 00:08:02,216 --> 00:08:04,017 Do you have good memories of growing up 206 00:08:04,084 --> 00:08:05,786 where the Little Golden Books started 207 00:08:05,853 --> 00:08:07,721 and Little Golden Books themselves? 208 00:08:07,788 --> 00:08:09,056 - I do. 209 00:08:09,122 --> 00:08:12,793 Many adults on the block that I grew up on 210 00:08:13,393 --> 00:08:14,795 worked at Western Publishing Company. 211 00:08:14,862 --> 00:08:18,098 So, there were lots of Little Golden Books around 212 00:08:18,165 --> 00:08:19,433 when I was growing up. 213 00:08:19,499 --> 00:08:22,936 This is my all-time favorite, Seven Little Postmen, 214 00:08:23,003 --> 00:08:26,073 because my father was a mailman. 215 00:08:26,139 --> 00:08:29,076 And this is my favorite picture, 216 00:08:29,142 --> 00:08:32,212 and I would-- I remember running my finger around. 217 00:08:32,279 --> 00:08:35,682 I really, I wanted to live in that picture. 218 00:08:35,749 --> 00:08:38,018 And one time, I don't remember how old I was. 219 00:08:38,085 --> 00:08:39,887 I was in elementary school, 220 00:08:39,953 --> 00:08:41,955 but one of the neighbors arranged 221 00:08:42,022 --> 00:08:43,857 for some of the neighborhood kids 222 00:08:43,924 --> 00:08:46,960 to have a tour of the printing facility 223 00:08:47,027 --> 00:08:48,128 at Western Publishing. 224 00:08:48,195 --> 00:08:49,596 And that was... - Blew your mind. 225 00:08:49,663 --> 00:08:51,698 - Yeah, it really did. 226 00:08:51,765 --> 00:08:53,367 That was amazing. - Cat: Yeah. 227 00:08:53,433 --> 00:08:56,503 - So, I've always felt a deep fondness 228 00:08:56,570 --> 00:08:59,773 for Little Golden Books, and it's nice to know 229 00:08:59,840 --> 00:09:02,809 that we came from the same place. 230 00:09:02,876 --> 00:09:04,845 - Little Golden Books had an enormous impact 231 00:09:04,912 --> 00:09:06,613 on the world of children's literature. 232 00:09:06,680 --> 00:09:08,782 They offered something new and special: 233 00:09:08,849 --> 00:09:09,983 a colorful picture book 234 00:09:10,050 --> 00:09:12,219 that was affordable for working-class families. 235 00:09:12,286 --> 00:09:14,221 Today, over 80 years later, 236 00:09:14,288 --> 00:09:16,390 Little Golden Books are still being produced and read 237 00:09:16,456 --> 00:09:18,926 by children and parents all over the world. 238 00:09:18,992 --> 00:09:20,327 Have you read Little Golden Books? 239 00:09:20,394 --> 00:09:22,062 Do you remember any favorites? 240 00:09:22,129 --> 00:09:24,264 See if you can find some in a library near you 241 00:09:24,331 --> 00:09:25,666 and take a trip down memory lane. 242 00:09:25,732 --> 00:09:28,368 Or try writing and illustrating your own book. 243 00:09:28,435 --> 00:09:31,538 You never know when you'll create the next bestseller. 244 00:09:31,605 --> 00:09:32,940 - Producer: Do you remember your lines? 245 00:09:33,006 --> 00:09:34,107 - No. - No. 246 00:09:34,174 --> 00:09:36,276 - Producer: That's okay. [all laugh] 247 00:09:36,343 --> 00:09:37,444 - That'll be $40. 248 00:09:37,511 --> 00:09:39,313 - $40?! [all laugh] 249 00:09:39,646 --> 00:09:42,249 - Nick: Yeah, nailing that line! 250 00:09:42,316 --> 00:09:44,718 - Producer: That was great. - Good job, bud! 251 00:09:44,785 --> 00:09:47,120 - Producer: You're a pro!