The Little Golden Books in the Shadow of the CIA, or the Americanization of Children's Publishing in Cold War France

Abstract

Abstract: In 1949, a new French publishing house, named Cocorico, launched a brand new collection called "Un petit livre d'or". In fact, it was simply a translation of the American "Little Golden Books" series. These cheap, cheerful and colourful picturebooks for the children of postwar Europe enjoyed immediate success. But the importation into Europe of the concept of "little golden books" had roots far beyond the simple framework of children's publishing and became part of the cultural Cold War," "book diplomacy," and the policy of "containment." All this was orchestrated by a multi-faceted dual national Franco-American, Georges Duplaix, who worked for the CIA.