A My Name is Annabel by Michaela Muntean (Sesame Street Book Club)

Being a kid of the 80's, I was very much into Sesame Street.  But I'm sure the kids from the 90s, 00s and even today were and are into them, too.  But it's the 80's kids that know exactly what I'm talking about when I say SESAME STREET BOOK CLUB.

For those of you who don't know them or maybe want more info, let me explain:

Before Internet, before email, before video games were more than just a joystick, and most of all, before Amazon.....there was the Sesame Street book club..... and also an outside world but I'm not here to judge.

These books were only available via mail-in and there are about 60 titles available.  Since they are all out of print, thrift stores and online stores are the best place to retrieve them.

But let me tell you, these are well written.  These aren't the books that have one word on each page and basic square and circle illustrations.  These books had thought put into them.  They will teach your kid the basics that they need to know for ages about 2-6 years old.  I remember reading these books and grabbing some vocabulary skills from them.  But your child can also learn math/counting, colors, alphabet, how to deal with life changes and more!

Many you can find in the thrift store for about .50 - $2 but there are some titles I'm still having a hard time finding and might have to resort to getting them online.  Right now I have about 44 of the 60...so I'm getting there.

By the way, you'd think that most of the stories would be about Elmo, it isn't.  During the times these were published, Grover was the most popular muppet.

A My Name is Annabel by Michaela Muntean

This is a great book in regards to teaching your kid the alphabet.  I love how it integrates people's names in order to teach this.  I mean, kids go around, learning other kid's names.  Why not incorporate that with that each kid's name begins with a different letter?  Plus, each page is filled with items beginning with that letter so your kid can point out each one for even more fun.

These books are easy to tell if you have a first printing.  Go to the very last page of the book before you hit the cover.  You will see an alphabet line.  If it starts with A, congrats, you have a first printing.  If it starts with B, it's a second printing, and so on.  Just make sure it's actually printed in the early 1980's.  They did a reprint in later years of these books that have a crazy border around the cover.  

Seriously....I'm being serious.  These books you NEED to add to your child's collection.  They are a must have.

This book in particular you might find at a thrift store, but to be honest, I've only seen it once in 3 years and it's this copy right here.  But you can find it for a great, cheap price (about $4.00 used) on my favorite sites, Amazon and Thriftbooks.  Click the links below to purchase and make your child's library an even greater one:

The House of Seven Colors by Madeline Sunshine

Do you remember sitting in the middle of your floor, watching the tube (yes, tube TV, not LCD, Plasma, or 3D)?  Growing up, there were only three channels during the week: Nickelodeon, Disney, & PBS.  Then of course, Friday was spent watching TGIF....oh, how I miss that.  I watched all the good ones, Ghost Writer, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Win Lose or Draw, Boy Meets World, Saved by the Bell (I guess that was on ABC), and Double Dare.  

But I do really remember watching Sesame Street.  I loved the Cookie Monster, mainly because I always saw those cookies sitting on his plate, thinking that his mom must really love him to make him cookies whenever he wanted.  Plus he never gained weight.  That would be nice.  

I loved the things you learn in the show.  How each one is dedicated to a certain number, shape, and/or letter.  

So did you know that in the early 80's that they actually had a series of books that you could only order via mail?

I had the series as a kid.  Had no idea how my mother got them.  They just kept arriving and I kept reading.  I currently have about 25 or so of them.  I found most of them at Savers a few months ago, all sitting in a row.  What was even better, is they were all First Edition and First Printings.  

Here is one of them.  The reason why I'm showcasing this one first is because it's one of the most valuable ones out there.  Have no clue why...maybe someone can tell me?

     

The House of Seven Colors by Madeline Sunshine

In this book, several of the Sesame Street gang are on a tiring journey and decide to stop off at a hotel for the night.  The innkeeper shows them to their individual rooms in which each room is just one particular color....really, just one color.  Each character also goes through certain emotions about their room, too.  

It is a good story, and I think it's a great book to teach a child their colors and how we associate that color in the world.  It's also a great book about diversity.  The ending is even great.  Maybe this is why it's valued so high?

If you are wanting the original, be aware, they did have a reprint in 1992 so make sure you know what you are purchasing.  But the reprint also has high worth, too....go figure.    

The original was published in 1985 by Golden Press.  Yep, the same people who do those amazing books with the golden spine.  

Though, having a First Printing is still the most valuable, even a later printing of the original edition still holds value.  So how do you tell which printing you have?

If you have the original from the 80s, you can flip to the very last page in the book.  See the alphabet line right under Mumford the Magician?  It's the same thing as the Number Printing Line you saw in my earlier post but this one has to do with letters.  If it starts with the letter "A", then you have a First Printing.  If it starts with "B" then you have a 2nd Printing, and so on.  

Where can you purchase these?  The best place online is Amazon where you can purchase for around 6-8 dollars plus 3.99 shipping.
Thriftbooks is usually out and Ebay sellers sell this book in lots with other Sesame Street Books.
 But, keep your eyes open at your local thrift store.  In just a couple of  months I have found two copies, both first printings for 50 cents each.  And of course, I purchased both of them.

Let me know what you think of the book or reminisce about your memories with the Sesame Street Book Club.