Publisher: Golden Press
Year: 1978
Pages: 26
Type: Hardcover
ISBN: N/A (Fourth Printing)
“Even though the contest is over, he’s still being everybody’s best neighbor!“
Little Golden Books have been a staple of every kids library for decades and decades. Every IP has been featured along with stories in the public domain. The artwork is usually simple and the creators are never credited. But the impact they have had on children the world over is incalculable!
This story starts with Mickey trying to get his neighbors out of a summer slump by suggesting a Best-Neighbor Contest. The winner would win ‘a silver loving cup’. You can see it being polished by Morty and Ferdie, Mickey’s nephews, below:
Everyone tries to serve the community in a special way and they all do a wonderful job! But Goofy can’t think of anything to do. So he is sad that he has nothing to contribute.
But as it turns out, Goofy didn’t have time to think of his own contribution because he was too busy helping everyone else make a success of theirs! So Mickey declares Goofy the winner. But in typical Goof fashion, he is too busy helping with the victory barbeque to receive the prize.
I would give this book a 4 out of 5 Stars. It offers a nice little story with a good moral but doesn’t really offer much else. The artwork is off-model occasionally even though children wouldn’t care about that. But I do! It would make a pleasing bedtime story.
I purchased this book because of the advertisement spread over the last two pages. It offers The Four Wonderful Worlds of Walt Disney 4-book set, which I have featured on this blog previously. Twice, if you count the Update!
This set was originally released in 1965. We find out how well it was selling by 1977 when we read that ‘over 2 million delighted customers’ have enjoyed the books, and that they are ‘back by popular demand!’ And now you get a free Disney Poster with every 14 Day Free Trial. Now I have to find that poster to make my Wonderful Worlds book set complete!
As I said, just about every IP (Intellectual Property, or simply put, characters) have been featured in A Little Golden Book. It’s fun to see Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny riding the same train with Raggedy Ann and Big Bird!
