42. LITTLE GOLDEN BOOKS

Back in the 1960s, these little books with their golden spine and wonderful cover were every child's dream birthday or Christmas presents, but they were so hard to find in the Philippines, I had to rely on used editions generously given by the kids of our American tenants. Thank God, these Little Golden Books were very hardy and durable so I still have these today. Launched in 1942 by Western Publishing in Racine, Wisconsin, LGBs were affordably priced at just 25 cents each, available to almost all children, not just a privileged few.

Since then, billions of LGBs have been read by children the world over, mirroring popular culture over the years. My favorites include Lassie,Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, Captain Kangaroo, Bozo the Clown, Gene Autry, The Lone Ranger, Smokey Bear. Later stories were based on characters coming from Hanna Barbera, Sesame Street, Barbie and even Pokemon. Today, LGBs, published by Random House, are little no more: they're big collectibles and were even exhibited at the Smithsonian!