BAIRNSANGS

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27670, 28 May 1955, Page 3

BAIRNSANGS

Bairnsangs. Nursery Rhymes in Scots. By Sandy Thomas Ross. With Illustrations by Charles Summers, Macmillan. 45 pp. These charming rhymes and the really beautiful illustrations that accompany them will have a special appeal for Scottish parents and children, but manv others will enjoy them too, with the help of the glossary at the back. They have been written as a contribution towards the preservation of the Scots tongue, but Mr Ross knows well how to delight children, as well as instruct them. There is vitality and spirit in his rhymes, catchiness in hiS rhythms and refrains, and great attraction in the familiarity of his subjects. Nonsense rhymes, clever little riddles, rhymes in plenty about birds and fish and animals, homely rhymes like “Jenny Wi the Mumps, as well as the occasional rhyme about witches and dwarfs and one or two magic spells or charms, are all handled with the same genuine inspiration. Mr Ross’s feeling for how to write for children is as sure as his feeling for the Sects words he uses.

Under the new title of THE HOUSE OF GOD (Eyre and Spottiswoode. 306 pp.) Ernest Short’s admirable History of Religious Architecture, which first appeared in 1925 and has been twice reprinted and revised, now appears in a fourth cheap edition. It is a fully illustrated work, and the author is a recognised authority, as capable of discussing the Parthenon, the Babylonian “Ziggurat,” or an Egyptian temple as of assessing the merits of Sir Giles Scott’s plan for rebuilding Coventry Cathedral or analysing the symbolism of Gothic sculpture. His range is vast, and his learning tremendous. No reputable library should be without this valuable standard work, which is as pleasant to read as it is useful for reference.