Dale Evans Prayer Book for Children: A Big Golden Book

"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old be will not depart from it" is the quote shared by Roy Rogers and Dale Evans in the Forward of this western themed prayer book for children. While this is a "Big Golden Book" it was published by Simon & Schuster (vs. the Golden Press). Both are first editions but with differences. Less common, the Simon & Schuster edition has a yellow background on the cover is slightly larger than some of the Golden Press editions.

Condition: Decorative, glossy hardbound boards are illustrated with a woman and children in a desert landscape with text box on the back that details the contents of forty prayers, eight written by Dale Evans. The boards are in very good condition with no edge wear or damage to the laminate and with only a few cosmetic flaws. There is slight wear at the top and bottom of the spine. All four corners are sharp but the front bottom has been bumped and creased and top rear has a slight bump crease. The spine and hinges are firmly attached, straight with no slanting and no cracking at decorative endpapers. Text block is firmly attached with all pages intact to stitched binding. Very slight age tanning throughout. Interior pages are in very good condition with no tears, chips, cracks, or previous owner marks. Colorful vintage illustrations of children praying, playing, many with a western theme. Unpaginated but approximately 26 pages.

Dale Evans Rogers (1912 – 2001) was an American actress, singer and songwriter. She was the wife of singing cowboy film star Roy Rogers. Together they had one child, Robin Elizabeth, who died of complications of Down syndrome shortly before her second birthday. Her life inspired Evans to write her bestseller "Angel Unaware." Evans was very influential in changing public perceptions of children with developmental disabilities and served as a role model for many parents. She went on to write several religious and inspirational books.