About the books

Cheaper by the Dozen and Belles on their Toes were written by Frank B. Gilbreth, Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey, two of the twelve children of Frank and Lillian Gilbreth. Frank and Lillian were efficiency experts who were interested in bringing modern principles of efficiency not just to the factory but to the home. The combination of efficiency experiments and a large family set the stage for many humorous stories, some of which are recounted in the Gilbreths' books.

Frank B. Gilbreth, Jr.

Ernestine Gilbreth Carey

Cheaper by the Dozen was first published in 1949 by Thomas Crowell Company.
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The book's popularity has been ongoing. It was published by the Book-of-the-Month Club in 1949. Excerpts were published in Ladies Home Journal and Reader's Digest published it also. Bantam Books first published it in 1951 and still publishes it today.
See the current cover art

Belles on their Toes was first published in 1950 by Thomas Crowell Company.
See the first cover
Like Cheaper, Belles has also remained popular over the years. It was published as a Book-of-the-Month Club Selection in 1950 and serialized in Ladies Home Journal in 1950. Bantam Books picked up the book in 1984 and publishes it today.
See the current cover art

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