Blue Ribbon Books
Blue Ribbon Books was an American publishing house established in Garden City, New York, in 1930 "by a consortium of publishers (Dodd & Mead, Harcourt & Brace, Harper, and Little, Brown) as a reprint publisher to compete with Grosset & Dunlap". Alfred Harcourt and Eugene Reynal were connected with its management. In 1933, Reynal assumed complete control of the company.
Also recorded as Blue Ribbon Books, Inc. · Blue Ribbon Press · Blue Ribbon Publishing
Blue Ribbon Books
- Founded
- 1930
- Headquarters
- New York City
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
VALÉORINE documentary reading
Documentary summary
Blue Ribbon Books was an American publishing house established in Garden City, New York, in 1930 "by a consortium of publishers (Dodd & Mead, Harcourt & Brace, Harper, and Little, Brown) as a reprint publisher to compete with Grosset & Dunlap". Alfred Harcourt and Eugene Reynal were connected with its management. In 1933, Reynal assumed complete control of the company.
Admitted source layer · organised and presented by VALÉORINE
Reference Check
Propose documentary evidence for Blue Ribbon Books. A contribution is never written directly as fact: identity, source, rights and evidence gates still decide.
Sign in to contribute
Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
wikidata · Q64993809 · wikipedia · Blue Ribbon Books
In this article
Book series
Book series
• Best Known Works (implicit series) • Blue Ribbon Specials • Famous Books for Young Americans • Pop-Up Books • Rainbow Bindings (AKA Rainbow Editions) • Waddle Books
Imprints
Imprints
• Book League of America • Halcyon House
Institutional history
Dated record
Institutional history
The full dated record · 2 entries
1930
Blue Ribbon Books established.
1930
Blue Ribbon Books is recorded from 1930.
Pop-up books
In 1937, Blue Ribbon acquired the list of the A. Burt publishing house and it continued publishing some of A. Burt's titles, terming them "A Burt Book." In 1939, Blue Ribbon Books sold its assets and reproduction rights to Doubleday, Doran & Company.
The firm was also known for its innovative production of children's books featuring movable elements, particularly pop-ups. It is recognized as the first U.S. publisher to trademark the term "pop-up" for its Illustrated Pop-up Editions. Blue Ribbon Books collaborated with Harold B. Lentz, who was instrumental in the success of their pop-up books. Lentz provided not only the artwork but also the engineering behind the intricate pop-up mechanisms, making these books highly sought after by collectors. Some of the most famous titles produced by Blue Ribbon include *The "Pop-Up" Pinocchio* (1932) and *The "Pop-Up" Cinderella* (1933), both featuring detailed illustrations and interactive paper mechanics. Blue Ribbon Books also made a significant impact with their Disney-themed pop-up books, which helped bring classic Disney stories to life through interactive illustrations. These editions included iconic titles such as *The "Pop-Up" Mickey Mouse* and *The "Pop-Up" Donald Duck*, which became highly popular among children and collectors alike. Blue Ribbon Books' pop-up editions remain highly collectible due to their historical significance and craftsmanship, marking a key moment in the development of children's interactive literature in the United States. The publishing house is remembered for popularizing movable books in the U.S. market during the 1930s and establishing a lasting legacy in the genre of pop-up books.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Blue Ribbon Books, seriesofseries.com. Retrieved 16 March 2025,
- 2.William R. Gowen, "Worthy challenger to the Strathmeyer Syndicate", Newsboy, January–February 2009, p. 12. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
- 3.American Authors and Books: 1640 to Present Day Third Revised Edition, Crown Publishers, Inc., New York. (Original Editors W. J. Burke and Will D. Howe)
- 4.Tisinger, Jo. Disney's Blue Ribbon Pop-Up Books - Exploring the Magic. Vintage Pop-Up Books.
- 5.Tisinger, Jo. Disney's Blue Ribbon Pop-Up Books - Exploring the Magic. Vintage Pop-Up Books.
- 6.Blue Ribbon Books and Harold Lentz. Vintage Pop-Up Books.
- 7.The world's best jokes, worldcat.org. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
- 8.se:Famous books for young Americans, worldcat.org. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
- 9.Blue Ribbon Books and Rainbow Bindings, delart.org. Retrieved 16 March 2025.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Publishers and printers
5,459 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Bloomsbury PublishingOrganisation
- Blue crow mediaOrganisation
- Blue Juice ComicsOrganisation
- Blue Mountain ArtsOrganisation
- Bluemoose BooksOrganisation
- Bluewater ProductionsOrganisation
- BlumenbarOrganisation
- BLV VerlagOrganisation
Best supported in this field
For owners
Own an object connected with Blue Ribbon Books?
A specialist will read what you send and tell you what the house can establish, what it cannot, and whether the object is suited to sale. There is no charge and no obligation. The object stays with you throughout; nothing is shipped to us unless it is arranged in writing beforehand.