I forgot how children’s books can really stir up the imagination. The other night I was looking for a book that I had when I was a kid but couldn’t remember anything about the title, author, or publication date. What really stuck out at me was the illustration style. Along the way I discovered these illustrations from vintage children’s books.

Is There Life in Outer Space? Franklyn M. Branley ~ Don Madden ~ Thomas Y. Crowell, 1984

Angus and the Cat Marjorie Flack ~ Doubleday, 1931

Tico and the Golden Wings Leo Lionni ~ Knopf, 1964

Yellow & Pink William Steig ~ Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1984

The Three Robbers Tomi Ungerer ~ Atheneum, 1962

Rotten Island William Steig ~ Godine, 1984

Tommy’s Trip to the Moon Illustrated by Elisabeth Halfdaner ~ English text by John Cotton ~ c.1950s (book is not dated)

More sources for vintage children’s books inspiration:

• Vintage Childrens Books Flickr Pool
• VintageChildrensBooksMyKidLoves.com
• Childrens Books Online
• Book-By-Its-Cover.com

And the book that I was looking for was Drummer Hoff from 1968 illustrated by Ed Emberley. I love this book so much that I bought a signed copy on eBay after figuring out what I was looking for.