Books are exciting (Ladybird Keywords Reading Scheme) 1967

Visiting the library

I found this in David’s Bookshop, Letchworth, for 25p. Result! This is a great book to show in this ‘100 years of Ladybird’ year.

This book is part of the Keywords Reading Scheme series (11c) and is all about books and reading. It covers fiction genres, non fiction (including facts, crafts, things to do, etc) writing your own books, visiting the library, using encyclopaedias, and finally how books are made. I don’t know if it was a mistake, but the book follows two children and their experiences of reading, but at the start they are introduced as Rita and Tim, but several pages in they turn into Peter and Jane (who were the usual Reading-Scheme characters) with no explanation.

Choosing books

Making books

Fiction genres

I’m not sure Ladybird would use this image as a cover now! But to put it into context, it is the illustration from a story in the book about how some South Sea Islanders catch octopuses. Presumably this image was chosen as being (in the publisher’s opinion) the most exciting in the book. At that time (I’m not sure about now) cover images were always taken from the book.)

Cover

Advertisement

Ladybird Book: Ballet 1969

There is something very lovely about finding a favourite childhood book again. Turning the pages and turning back time just for a moment.

The other day I found a box of Ladybird books in a charity shop. Most of them were modern(ish), but I found four old ones – and all for 50p each. I definitely had this one when I was a child – I was ballet mad for while until I realised that there was no way I’d ever be good enough! This was first published in 1969 – series 662 – by Ian Woodward and illustrations by Martin Aitchison.

The book begins with a brief history of ballet and moves on to ballet language, mime, costumes, makeup, what to expect as a ballet student, etc. This spread is about dancing sur les pointes and how to look after and prepare ballet shoes.

Ballet shoes

The endpapers show some ballet steps and movements.

Endpapers

There are fourteen pages of ballet synopses at the end.

Ballet synopses

How it works: Printing Processes A Ladybird Book

Cover

By David Carey and illustrations by BH Robinson. Ladybird Books Ltd 1971

I do love old Ladybird books and I came across this again* today for 50p in a charity shop. This is a surprisingly in-depth book about printing processes. I can’t imagine a children’s reference editor being able to get something equivalent through an Acquisitions meeting today…

This is a linotype setting machine.

The linotype process

A piece about galleys and proofs. Who remembers galleys?

galleys and proofs

This section is about offset litho.

offset-litho printing

How the book was made.

How this book was made

Finishing and binding. I talked about this a bit in this post.

Making up and finishing processes

And finally a handy list of proof-correction marks.

Proof correction marks

* I picked this up a few years ago, but took it to work for the Production department’s entertainment and education!

Books and illustrators from my childhood number 5 – Ladybird Books

I loved Ladybird books. We had a large collection – many of which, I seem to remember, my mum had acquired from somewhere. We had reading-scheme books, make-and-do, factual… There just isn’t anything like it anymore.

This one is from the Nature Book series 536. It’s Birds of Prey illustrated by John Leigh-Pemberton first published in 1970. By 1970 there were over 350 Ladybird titles, and at the time they cost 18p each.

Ladybird Birds of Prey cover

This is the entry about red kites. It’s interesting to see that at the time they were extremely rare. And thankfully now we can see them coming back across the UK.

Ladybird book red kite

Finally for now, the short-eared owl. It hunts during the day – but even so I’ve never seen one!

Ladybird book short-eared owl