Golden Books, a joint venture between Simon & Schuster and Western Publishing, has published highly revered children’s books for over 60 years. Upon witnessing the success of their signature hardbacks, Golden Books decided to expand its format to audio recordings. As it turned out, children enjoyed listening to stories just as much as they enjoyed reading them. The first Golden Records releases sold for 29¢ and included Scruffy the Tugboat and The Poky Little Puppy. Soon after, storytellers and songwriters were brought onboard to record additional albums for children. Contributors have included Danny Kaye, Roy Rogers, Burl Ives, Dale Evans, and Bing Crosby.