Books published by publisher Laughing Elephant

First published in 1916, this beautifully illustrated and attractively shaped book tells the story of a boy named Teddy who flies to the North Pole to see Santa. He gets to feed the reindeer, help Santa in his workshop and also to help him pack his sleigh. After all of Teddy's adventures he is delivered safely home just in time for Christmas morning.

The Boy's Book of Signs and Symbols is a facsimile reproduction of c. 1920 guide to over 500 signs and symbols. It includes signs of the zodiac, ancient and totemic signs, alphabet and arithmetic signs, trail signs, and much more. The author, White Fox (a.k.a. John Hargrave), dedicates his work to the mysterious Little Elk (medicine man to the northern clans) and tells him that his work stands for that which a mechanical and industrially frantic commercialism has all but wiped out. He also reminds Little Elk that Even now you shall find the boy as primitive as ever. White Elk wrote these words from his Caravan Camp in 1920, and they are as true now as they were when White Fox collected and illustrated this rich assembly of signs both ancient and modern. The desire to carve arcane symbols into canoe paddles may not be as relevant today as in 1920, but the symbols in this book remain fascinating.

In the 1950s Children's Activities Magazine ran a delightful monthly feature. Children from all over America submitted recipes which they had successfully prepared. An illustrator named Sonia Roetter added a little drawing to each recipe, and a whimsical and useful page was created for each month. We reprint, in Fun In The Kitchen, more than a hundred of our favorite entries from the many hundreds which were run in the life of the column. They are simple enough to be cooked by children eight years and older. We have added a little color to the images in a manner which we think would have pleased the artist. Our staff chef has examined all the instructions for reasonableness.

This book is an illustrated version of a rhymed alphabet made by Carolyn Wells in 1901. She felicitously finds something important about Christmas for each letter of the alphabet. Here is a sequence to give an idea of its flavor: ""E is for Evergreens cut for the room / F is for Flowers of exquisite perfume / G is for Gifts that bring us delight / H is for Holly with red berries bright"".In 1989 we illustrated each rhyme with an antique image, including illustrators like Arthur Rackham, Sarah Stilwell, Jessie Willcox Smith, Oliver Herford, Anne Anderson, and Charles Robinson. It was published with great success by G.P. Putman. We like it so much that now that they have put it out of print, we are republishing it.

Many years ago we published an illustrated alphabet book using a rhyme by Carolyn Wells. It has sold well every Christmas since that first publication but recently Welleran Poltarnees - our master of illustration reviewed his work and decided that, with our amplified resources and improvements in the art of color scanning and printing, he could do a better job. We told him to go ahead, and here we present his new version, and at a reduced retail price that we think will make it even more saleable. Some of the Christmas themes depicted are: bells, gifts, stars, ice, holly, wreaths, and reindeer. Artists include Willy Pogany, H.C. Leyendecker, Palmer Cox, Maginel Wright Barney, James Montgomery Flagg and Frances Tipton Hunter.

Like most of us the author did not appreciate his parents until he was grown and a parent himself. For his father's eightieth birthday he wrote him a letter which gave detailed expression to his gratitude. This letter was the beginning point of this book. He thanks his father for sharing his enthusiasms, giving him a sense of stability during the chaos of growing up, teaching him to play and laugh, and always believing in his worth. Because of his gift for pairing antique images with words the author was able to reinforce his thoughts with imagery. This is an deal gift from either sons or daughters for Father's Day, a father's birthday, a new father, or any time one wishes to say ""thank you.""

The enduring popularity of Robert Louis Stevensons A Child's Garden of Verses (1885) is testament to the poet's uncanny ability to evoke the child's viewpoint so truly that it has flourished for more than a century. We have paired the poems with Charles Robinson's 1896 illustrations, which reflect not only the Art Nouveau aesthetic of that time, but also Robinson's masterful draftsmanship.

After being snubbed by the royal family at the christening of their baby girl, a malevolent fairy places a curse on the princess which only a prince can break. This classic fairy tale, collected by both Charles Perrault, and the Brother's Grimm is here illustrated by the great 19th Century English illustrator, John Hassall and presented in a vintage die cut collector's edition, illustrated by the great 19th Century English illustrator, John Hassall

This wonderful, anonymous work was first published in the 1940's. In 26 happy pictures a group of young cats celebrate Christmas, alphabetically. For a "C" a cat eats Candy, in "H" a holly wreath is carried and for "K" the kiss beneath the mistletoe is most charming. The naive style and vintage appeal, paired with the small size and price point, adds up to a delicious holiday treat, suitable for all manner of gift giving needs.