As much as I hate to admit it there isn’t much I remember from my childhood but there is one thing I do remember and that was my dad reading to me at night before bed. Back then it was just my brother Gerald and I. My sister hadn’t been born yet. My dad would put us to bed and he and my mom would sit with us while he read us stories. Those are some of my favorite memories.
More times than not, that story came from a Little Golden Book. Whether it was Scuffy the Tugboat, The Poky Little Puppy, or The Saggy Baggy Elephant, those were the books that filled our evenings with stories, imagination, and memories I still carry with me today. There some of my all time favorite books. As a child did you read the Little Golden Books? Did you have a favorite book?
When Suzzane was born, I knew I wanted to make sure she had a library of her own filled with Little Golden Books. I wanted her to have enough books that we could sit down together every night and read a different story. Books she wouldn’t have to read over and over because we had run out of choices, but books she would love enough to pull off the shelf just as I had done when I was a little girl.
Those books became part of our family story. When Suzzane got older, we passed the books down to my nephew, David Michael. And can you believe that, even today, I still have some of Suzzane’s books? They aren’t worth anything to anyone else but they was here’s and when I tough them I can still see the little girl sitting beside me as we read the books.
Then Charlie came along, and you can bet I made sure he had Little Golden Books, too. Of course, by then, things were changing. There were new characters, including books from the movie Cars featuring Lightning McQueen which Charlie and his grandmother loved.
The books weren’t quite the same ones I remembered from my childhood, but I still made sure Charlie had the classics. Then came my niece and nephew, Lily and Jason, and the world of Little Golden Books had changed even more but I made sure they had these book as well as my grandson because everyone should be a Little Golden Books kid.
Honestly, I never would have imagined as a child that these little books with their familiar golden bindings would grow into something that reached so far beyond the children’s bookshelf. But it has in so many ways and I’m grateful for these books that brought my children’s love of reading to life.
Today, when I think about Little Golden Books, I see Jimmy Buffett, Elton John, Selena, ABBA, and Dolly Parton. I see figurines, politicians, music, pop culture, and so much more. Who would have thought that the little books I grew up with would one day give grown-ups so many new things to collect and share with their families?
And I am grateful, thankful, and blessed that they did! I have already been thinking about collecting the music-themed books for my music wall. I also want to get my best friend the Winnie-the-Pooh book, Because even though we grow up, there is something special about finding a little piece of childhood that brings back memories and gives us something new to enjoy.
That is what makes this journey so much fun for me. Some of these books take me right back to sitting with my parents as they read to us. Others remind me of raising my own children and making sure they had stories to call their own. And the newer books are opening up a whole new world of collecting that I never expected.
So, if you haven’t checked out Little Golden Books in a few years, I really think you should. Take a look at what is available today. You might be just as surprised as I was to discover how much these little golden treasures have grown up. If you don’t believe me come visit me and I will share some of my books with you.
Because Little Golden Books aren’t just for children anymore. They are for the children we once were, the families we have raised, the memories we treasure, and the things we still love to share. And for this Little Golden Books kid, the adventure is just getting started!
GratefulMoments.com
Grateful, Thankful, and Blessed.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
