Rooks for Children
How rare the Ass BY Orin HLRSC time THE more rare becomes the sight of a donkey in an overmechanised age the more popular he seems to he in the storybook. The fact that Helen Raimes overcome this "handicap" is all the more creditable. Is it coincidence that the .sad chapter on the primroses is entitled "Floss era of the Forest-, that haunting piper's melody?
"Eyes on the Ballet" by Kathrine Sorley Walker (Methuen 25s.) is an excellent guide to the appreciation of ballet for the teenager. or for that matter the young lady or man. It does not narrowly confine itself to the glamorous idea of becoming a ballerina in six easy lessons. Rather it suggests that as much pleasure may he derived from the other side of the footlights if you more fully understand the music. the history. the choreography and the decor: with the expert guidance of this book you will do so. It is profusely illustrated with up-to-date photography.
Complete fantasy appears so easy. It is not. However. one successful story is "Circus in the Jungle" (Faber I5s.). The story and pictures arc by Denise and Alain Trez. Two children, it boy and a girl. and their dog, arrive in a magical jungle where a CitiTICI, conveniently with three humps, carries them around and they meet other animals with curious habits whom they decide to make into a circus team. Small children whose world of make-believe is large, will find ample room to include this one.
Trimmings Books in Series arc becoming more and more frequent, so I was not surprised to receive at one time four volumes of The Junior Science Books. These books are intended for children whose tastes are sufficiently developed to cope with the purely factual without fictional trimmings.
Fur them these books published by Muller should prove a popular choice. The latest four titles are: "Icebergs and Glaciers". "Sound". "Big Cats" and "Elephants". They are 10s. 6d. each. The book on Elephants even has a chapter on the place of these giants of the jungle in tiny postage stamps. "The Road Under tDie Sea" by Ruth Park (Macmillan, 13s. 6(1.1 is au underwater adventure, The mystery of thc sea bed and its eerie atmosphere is a perfect setting for plenty of excitement and if that isn't enough there is a hair-raising encounter with a shark. Ten years and up, boys rather than girls!
Male and female as long as they are under seven will enjoy the second series of "Little Story Books" by Jean Marshall with pictures by Hubert Williams. The titles of these short. gay. little volumes arc "Ducks on the Train". "Ducks go to the Orchard", "Ducks in the Village" and "A Pond for the Ducks". '1 hey arc published by Frederick Warne, and cost 2s. 6d. each.
Still for the very small, a very small book, "From Mouse to Mouse" by Susan Shaw (Chatto and Windt's. 3s. 6d.),
Recapture "Grococo" is a clever F'renc'h crow and the title of a new talc by Mareille Artur Marokvia (World Work. 2s. 6d.). Like many French titles the imaginative characterisation is one of the best features. The age-group of readers is a little higher than the previous live books mentioned, but it is still for the under ten's. After Paul and Ann have found the crow and got to know him they lose him but they arc determined to recapture him. and do.
When so many of our boys and girls have established themselves as World Champions in swimming, a good hook on this sport is hound to have a good reception. "Swimming for Schoolboys" by F. L. Briscoe (M. Joseph. 15s.) certainly qualifies as good. The author approaches the subject in a most intelligent way, giving the reason for every action, as well as advice and thus giving really sound knowledge and understanding which willare i ill alread to snappy, [here simple. little stories in "Another Time Story" by Donald Bisset (Methuen 8s. 6d.) which many small children will love. I particularly liked the one set in Tratalgar Square in which the pigeon and Lord Nelson both like buns.