I fell right down the bunny hole and ended up back at Vintage Books

Those internet rabbit trails can take you so many places and get you really off track.

I was busily updating my website with free homeschool resources with some links for free e-books.

Naturally, I had to test out the links right?

At the Guttenberg Project I found some marvelous old books that are free to download in html or other digital reader formats in the Children's Bookshelf section:

Free book from Guttenberg Project

Free book from Guttenberg Project

There were several different illustrated versions of "A Child's Garden of Verses" and this 1916 version was my favorite of the ones available here.  I loved the art deco illustrations!!

That got me thinking about some other illustrations I had seen of that book.

So then I had to go looking for those versions.

Good "Google"y moogly.  Google this book and there are zillions of illustrated versions!! Well, I guess since it was first published in 1885 and in continuous print there are bound to be a zillion versions.

 It's a virtual walk through history with the "who's who" of children's illustrators, the artist styles of the time, and a bit of cultural anthropology in observing the fashions and objects of the day.

Looking through those vintage books lead me to some really great sites with images of other vintage books which I have written about before.

Here's a trip back in time anytime you want to visit your childhood library!!

Vintage children's books on Flickr
Retro kid on Flickr
Golden Books on Flickr

Naturally I had to see how much some of the books could be purchased for.  I find some hidden gems and realized that some of my favorite books we still have are worth a pretty good penny!

I'm just thrilled that people are taking time to catalogue the text and images of of these vintage books in places like Flickr and The Guttenberg Project so the books aren't just on ebay or etsy for sale at a hefty price.

So I started posting some to my pinterest board for vintage books.

Okay, what was it I was doing in the first place again?

I guess it doesn't matter.  My little girl is ready for me to read her stories :-)

And another generation continues the love of childhood books.  I wonder what books from their childhood my kids will be trying to find when they are all grown up.

Hopefully they'll still have all their favorites too because I saved them just like my mom did for me.

Thanks, mom!!!