SOLVED. Picture Book where a well known character meets Queen Elizabeth II, read c. 2007-2012

[Katja]

I’m looking for a picture book I vaguely remember from my childhood. I don’t know anything about It except I think it was a famous/well known book (or possibly TV show/movie) character went to Buckingham Palace, somehow attracts the Queen’s attention, and ends up waving to the people from a balcony with a crown on. I am hoping such a book exists and I didn’t piece this together from various books/movies??

I know it isn’t Winnie-The-Pooh Meets the Queen or Paddington at the Palace or Peppa Meets The Queen or Burlington Meets the Queen.

I read this as a child (c. 2007-2012), having got it from a library either in Montréal or in a small Québec town. I don’t know if it was French or English, but if it was French I think it was translated from English because I believe the MC was an English or at least international character. And the book was probably published in France.

[bookel]

Use worldcat.org to browse results by searching keyword meets Queen, restrict with filters print book, year range, juvenile fiction. Linking results did not work last time due to the website change. Worldcat should list the book published.

[Katja]

bookel wrote: "Use worldcat.org to browse results by searching keyword meets Queen, restrict with filters print book, year range, juvenile fiction. Linking results did not work last time due to the website change..."

Thank you! Doing so now.

[Katja]

bookel wrote: "Use an earlier year if you think it was not a new book, for the minimum year."

Okay, thanks! I did some searches, will finish Monday. I never used Worldcat before (didn’t know it existed) so this is quite interesting.

[bookel]

It can be time consuming and I preferred the old format they had for years, which was quicker to use, but persistence pays off. Use other websites to find cover images (abebooks, Librarything, goodreads, amazon, Google Images, openlibrary.org). The last often has older books to borrow free, which is handy if checking a picture book for example. Worldcat has page numbers if you click on the individual book, to tell if it is a likely picture book.

[Katja]

bookel wrote: "It can be time consuming and I preferred the old format they had for years, which was quicker to use, but persistence pays off. Use other websites to find cover images (abebooks, Librarything, good..."

Thank you so much!!

[Kris]

Katja, is the well-known character definitely an animal and not a human (child or adult)?

[Katja]

Kris wrote: "Katja, is the well-known character definitely an animal and not a human (child or adult)?"

I honestly don’t know! I’m leaning towards a human but it could be an animal. I’m starting to think I must have dreamed this book up, because I can’t find hide nor hair of it anywhere!

[JennAnn]

Since you’re not sure if the books’s details, might the palace perhaps have been not Buckingham Palace, but perhaps one in
a book about Babar the elephant? Although the first books (in both English and French) date from much earlier, they were very well-known and the character has endured. Moreover, in the time period you mention, there was a very popular Canadian television cartoon series about Babar. Perhaps your book was either one of the numerous original stories, or was a spinoff featuring illustrations from the television series? I found at least one online picture which shows him wearing a crown and standing waving to the people from a balcony it unlike that of Buckingham Palace.
https://babar.fandom.com/wiki/Celeste...

[Katja]

JennAnn wrote: "Since you’re not sure if the books’s details, might the palace perhaps have been not Buckingham Palace, but perhaps one in
a book about Babar the elephant? Although the first books (in both Englis..."

Oooo that would make total sense, since I was reading Babar around that time… maybe that’s the solution to the mystery!

[Florence]

Long shot as not a picture book (though it does have illustrations) but possibly the bfg by roald Dahl?

[Rainbowheart]

Dodsworth in London?

Despite a dart-throwing episode at a local pub and a case of mistaken identity, Dodsworth and his mischievous duck companion receive a royal invitation to stay at Buckingham Palace during their trip to London.

[Katja]

Florence wrote: "Long shot as not a picture book (though it does have illustrations) but possibly the bfg by roald Dahl?"

I know for sure it’s not that, but thanks!

[Katja]

Rainbowheart wrote: "Dodsworth in London?

Despite a dart-throwing episode at a local pub and a case of mistaken identity, Dodsworth and his mischievous duck companion receive a royal invitation to stay ..."

You know what, I think that might be it?? I’m going to say I just merged Babar and this and Paddington into a fake book in my brain lol. Thanks a lot!

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Is this solved then?

[Katja]

Lobstergirl wrote: "Is this solved then?"

I don’t know… I don’t suppose I’ll ever know unless I happen to find the exact book I was thinking of. ;P

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Threads can't stay in Possibly Solved forever. So you'll have to decide if it's close enough to being solved, or not close enough. They we'll move it back to Unsolved.