Every book lover I know is usually searching for that one long lost book they can vaguely remember owning as a child. Sometimes they remember parts of the title, sometimes they can remember the colour of the book and if they are lucky, they might remember the author. Often these books are so hard to find, or out of print, that you hope you might stumble across it one day in a second-hand bookshop, but you know the chances are slim.

I had such a book once too, I remembered its cushioned covers, its gold edged pages and that it was blue and contained fairy tales, but other than that, I couldn’t remember anything useful about it. I didn’t know the title, author, or who published it. So I searched online for months typing in ‘blue fairy tale book’ or ‘blue fairy tale book with gold edges’ and other similar sentences. By complete luck and chance, I stumbled across it on ABE. Of course it was out of print, and it cost me a lot more than what my original copy cost my parents, but I had to have it.

And here it is…. Treasury of Fairy Tales by Dorothea Goldenberg and Bette Killion, published by Publications International Ltd in 1997. It includes well loved classics like Beauty and The Beast and The Steadfast Tin Soldier. I don’t remember the pictures inside but I have vague memories of the stories. My mother recognised the book instantly, as she had bought the original copy for my sister and I in a shop in Cardiff. At some point during our multiple house moves the original was given away, but I will not be getting rid of this book again anytime soon.