ANTHOLOGIES

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30076, 9 March 1963, Page 3

ANTHOLOGIES

Naughty Children—an anthology compiled by Christiaans Brand. Victor Gollancz. 318 pp. This book, ably illustrated by Edward Ardizzone, has been designed for children between the ages of eight and 15, but most adults, who themselves have been in their time naughty children, will recognise with delight many old and well-tried friends and will hail with pleasure some new but ever-to-be-remembered characters. Here again we see Katy, swingling on the forbidden swing, the priggish Eric for once being delightfully natural in his enjoyment of the grasshopper on the lady’s bonnet, the insouciant Lady Noggs at her imperturable best. Tom Sawyer resurrected from a watery grave, Richxnal Crompton's William involved in a baby show, and Penrod creating havoc with tar. Those youngsters who here meet these characters for the first time, will undoubtedly want to hear more and so Christianna Brand has probably whetted many appetites with her choice of old favourites. The younger generation may learn of such diverse characters as Biggies and Sir Winston Churchill, and chuckle over the fate of the family from one-end street in the cart-horse parade, while one and all will surely rejoice over the excerpt from a letter, simply entitled "Angus” with its devastating contents and delightfully humorous postscript. Mias Brand who gives us in this book many hours of pleasure has obviously enjoyed selecting; and her readers will certainly enjoy her selection.