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Little Golden Books have been charming kids and their parents since 1942. Originally launched by Western Publishing to provide affordable book options to American families, the series quickly became popular with classics like “The Poky Little Puppy.”
While no longer 25 cents apiece, the books remain affordable and popular choices today, costing around $6 a book. Penguin Random House now publishes them, and in 2021, Little Golden Books launched its biography series.
These short, 24-page, illustrated books tell famous folks’ stories at a child’s level. Celebrities in the series have included the late actress and comedian Lucille Ball, ballerina Misty Copeland, and the late artist and TV personality Bob Ross.
And since its release in May, Taylor Swift’s Little Golden Book has become the fastest-selling in series history.
Here are some other celebrity Little Golden Books to check out, including recently released ones.
Lady Gaga
$4.99 (was $5.99) from Amazon $4.99 (was $5.99) from Target
Little monsters of all ages will enjoy the Little Golden Book biography of Lady Gaga, the powerhouse singer and actress. Released on Jan. 2, this new book by Michael Joosten tells how Stefani Germanotta worked her way up from open mic nights at bars to record-breaking albums and Oscar-nominated movies.
Elton John
$4.99 (was $5.99) from Amazon $4.99 (was $5.99) from Target
Released at the same time as Lady Gaga’s Little Golden Book, Elton John’s storybook is by Jennifer Dussling. Born Reginald Dwight, the future singer-songwriter grew up from a piano-playing child in England to an icon on the world stage.
Beyonce
$4.78 (was $5.99) from Amazon $4.78 (was $5.99) from Target
The Little Golden Book biography of Beyonce by Lavaille Lavette traces Beyonce from her days with Girls Tyme, where she met her future bandmate Kelly Rowland, to Destiny’s Child and beyond.
Dolly Parton
$3.40 (was $5.99) from Amazon $3.40 (was $5.99) from Target
The perennially popular Dolly Parton doesn’t need a glow-up, but her Golden Books bio for kids, written by Deborah Hopkinson, still brilliantly traces her rise from one-room cabin in the Smoky Mountains to national treasure. We think Parton might be pleased with her own storybook, since she emphasizes literacy through projects like her Imagination Library.
Dwayne Johnson
$4.78 (was $5.99) from Amazon$4.79 (was $5.99) from Target
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has a TV series based on his life. But we think he can truly say he’s made it with his own Little Golden Book. Written by Frank Berrios, this biography explains how Johnson grew up surrounded by wrestlers and became one himself before breaking into other forms of entertainment.
Simone Biles
$4.78 from Amazon $4.99 (was $5.99) from Target
Simone Biles is the most decorated gymnast in history. So although she’s only 26, it makes sense she’d be featured in her own Little Golden Book. The biography by JaNay Brown-Wood talks about Biles’ upbringing (she’s adopted and has ADHD) and path to gymnastics success.
Bruce Springsteen
$4.78 (was $5.99) from Amazon $4.78 (was $5.99) from Walmart
In an atypical fame story, Bruce Springsteen stayed in New Jersey rather than follow his family to California. And it was in Jersey where he and his bandmates began to have big success. You learn this and more in the Little Golden book version of Springsteen’s life story, written by Laurel Snyder.
Betty White
$3.98 (was $5.99) from Amazon $3.98 (was $5.99) from Walmart
The Little Golden Book about “Golden Girl” Betty White by Deborah Hopkinson came out in late 2021, right before her passing at age 99. Actress and comedian White was also a big animal lover and the book explores that side of her as well. Besides the original edition, there’s a 2022 Collector’s Edition that’s in a larger format and that includes updates after White’s death.
Willie Nelson
$4.79 (was $5.99) from Amazon $4.78 from Walmart
Singer-songwriter Willie Nelson is now 90 and definitely deserves a Little Golden Book about his lifetime of success in the music world. The book by Geof Smith also talks about how Nelson rescues horses, helps FarmAid, and still walks to his own beat.
Julie Andrews
$2.99 (was $5.99) from Amazon $4.99 (was $5.99) from Target
Actress and singer Julie Andrews has also written many of her own children’s books. So it’s wonderful to see a Little Golden Book by Christy Webster about her life and long career in entertainment. It chronicles her beginnings as a child vaudeville performer with her parents and how she made her way from Broadway to movies and beyond.
Which celebrity would you like to see a Little Golden Book biography written about?
All these celebrity Little Golden Books are under $6 originally appeared on Simplemost.com
