Some of Mickey’s earliest Big Little Book adventures included Mickey Mouse: the Mail Pilot, Mickey Mouse Sails for Treasure Island, and Mickey Mouse the Detective. Mickey appeared in more Big Little Books than any other character, and a few of the books are valued collectibles today. However, one of the most popular characters in the series was none other than Mickey Mouse, who first graced the pages of Big Little Books in 1933. The first Big Little Book was The Adventures of Dick Tracy, published in 1932. A few of the books featured original stories, and several were non-fiction biographies intended for younger readers. The books were generally sold at five-and-dime variety stores such as Woolworth’s.īig Little Books touched on a wide variety of stories and subject matter, with many being adapted from popular comic strips, movies, and radio programs. The books were typically around 432 pages in length, and a captioned picture appeared next to each page of text.īig Little Books were initially sold for just 10¢ and were very popular with younger readers. The original design measured just 3⅝’’ wide, 4½’’ high, and 1½’’ thick. The oxymoronic title referred to the large amount of story and enjoyment experienced by reading a disproportionately smaller book. The Big Little Book series was published by the Wisconsin-based Whitman Publishing Company beginning in 1932. A number of books and comics were published with stories about the mischievous mouse, such as a popular series of books for younger readers known as Big Little Books. Gallery 2b exhibits many examples of products featuring the face of Mickey Mouse, including watches, dolls, and even an automobile hood ornament. ![]() Mickey Mouse’s popularity is especially apparent in the amount of merchandising produced during the 1930s. Using these examples as a comparison, I tell the students that during the 1930s, the popularity of Mickey Mouse rivaled that of the super celebrities of today. They often provide examples of famous athletes and popular singers, (think Michael Phelps and Justin Bieber). I sometimes ask younger visitors who they think the biggest celebrity in the United States is today. When I lead groups of students through the galleries, I often try to relate the story and the artifacts in terms of things they know and understand. As a Museum Educator at the Walt Disney Family Museum, part of my job is to facilitate student visits to the museum.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |