This novelty book reproduces the sounds of a rooster, goat, cat, bird, lamb and the cuckoo. Miniature bellows inside the body of the book operate when the small tassel indicated on each page is pulled. There is a coloured illustration and verse for each animal, with the added delight of a 'voice' for it.
Initially produced in Germany where many ingenious toys and books for children were made, talking books were later published in England and America. Despite the apparently sturdy appearance, talking books from this period are fragile, and so rare to survive in working order.
Modern versions of 'audible' books utilize batteries to power a sound device, or for the youngest of children 'squeakers'.
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The speaking toybook ... ([ca. 1900]). State Library of South Australia, accessed 22/01/2026, https://digital.collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/nodes/view/725