"DREAMS COME TRUE."

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 31, 6 February 1937, Page 2 (Supplement)

"DREAMS COME TRUE."

Arthur Jfee, whose stories for children need no introduction to many parents and teachers, has published under the title of "Dreams Come True" (Hoddor and Stoughton) two dozen stories of men who have played a constructive parts in the making of our civilisation— such men as Samuel Plimsoll, Marc Brunei (who made the first tunnel under iho Thames), Sir Edwin Chad wick ( parent of sanitary science"), David Hughes (who in the 'eighties was listening to broadcast signals before wirelc=s had been thought of), William Willett (originator of daylight saving) and Lord Baden-Powell. "It is the dreamers who have made the world worth living in," Mr. Mec says, and in these stories he has marshalled persuasive evidence of that. Xo better book than "Dreams Come True" could be recommended for children—and there arc few adults who would not find it informative.

RENNY WHITEOAK. LATEST NEWS FROM JALNA. The publication of "Whileoak Harvest" CMaemillan), the sixth volume of the chronicles of the Whitcoak family, makes a valuable addition to this already lengthy saga. Those who have not read Miss Mazo de hi Roche's earlier books may hesitalo before undertaking the considerable task of making themselves acquainted with this remarkable family and bringing their knowledge of it up to date. If Miss do la Roche continues to write with t lie same competent vigour as in this latest volume, it will be worth their while to do so. There have been moments in the books which followed "Whitcoaks" and "Jalna," the fir.-t two, when the. attention of even the most devoted reader must have slackened, and boredom was not far distant. "Whitcoak Harvest," however, reaches a higher place of achievement than possibly any of the preceding volumes.

The spirit of the grandmother still pervades the house of Jalna; her portrait watches her descendants in the living room, her sons Ernest and Nicholas seem still to bo. nniler her spell, and Kenny's small daughter Adeline is her reincarnation. As her death becomes more a matter of the punt the other characters take shape, and this latest story is dominated by Kenny, whose maturity finds him as masterful", illogical and generous as ever. The central theme of th e book is the unhappiness of his wife Alayne, her flight from him and their ultimate reconciliation. That subsidiary plots and incidents abound, no follower of the Jalna chronicle's will need to be told. The author assumes in her reader a knowledge of the earlier stories and refuses to load this book with unnecessary explanation and detail. In this way sl.o maintains an admirable speed and simplicity, and has written a much finer hook than would have, been possible had she attempted to make it entirely intelligible to beginners.