Q: I collect children's books and purchased this book so long ago that I don't remember where I bought it or what I paid for it. The title is "Wild Flower Stories — Book 1" and was written by Josie O. Gauthier. It was published by Cupples & Leon Company in New York City. The copyright date is 1918. The chapters are "Arbutus," "Quaker Ladies," "Violet," "Jack-in-the-Pulpit," "Daisy" and "Buttercup," and each chapter explains the folklore of each wildflower. There are 30 pages. The illustrations are by the author, and there are 6 color plates. The book is a first edition, a hardcover and measures approximately 5 inches by 7 inches. Inscribed on the inside are the words: "Flower Stories For The Little Flower Girl." It is in excellent condition.

I hope you can tell me its current value.

A: Josie O. Gauthier, author and illustrator, wrote your book. She wrote a series of four books about flowers for children in 1918. Cupples & Leon Company published children's books and first-year books for new mothers to record their babies' growth and events. The color plates reflect the Arts and Crafts movement in style and design. The original 1918 price was 75 cents.

Your book would probably fetch $25 to $60 in an antiques shop.

Q: This mark is on the bottom of a cookie jar that I bought last summer at a yard sale. The mark also includes the number "317." The cookie jar was inspired by the nursery rhyme, "Hey Diddle, Diddle, the Cat and the Fiddle." The container is a yellow moon with a blue base and has a cow on top that serves as the handle for the lid. It also has a dish and spoon running away, and a cat that is playing a fiddle. It is in mint condition. I paid $10 for it.

Is my cookie jar antique or "junque," and did I pay too much for it?

Q: Your cookie jar is not old enough to be an antique; nevertheless, it is not "junque." Robinson Ransbottom Pottery made your cookie jar. It's been in business since 1901 in Roseville, Ohio. It made around 25 different cookie jars from the 1940s to the 1960s. A few years ago, cookie jars were all the rage, and prices skyrocketed. Today their values are more realistic. Your circa 1950s "Cow Jumped Over the Moon" cookie jar would probably be worth $150 to $300.

Address your questions to Anne McCollam, P. O. Box 247, Notre Dame, IN 46556. Items of a general interest will be answered in this column. Due to the volume of inquiries, she cannot answer individual letters. To find out more about Anne McCollam and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.