For Young Readers

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30278, 2 November 1963, Page 3

For Young Readers

Dan McDougall and the Bulldozer. By Lydia Pender. Pictures by Gerald Rose. Abel and Schuman.

This is a simple story of Dan who lived in the outback of Australia with Dozer, his bulldozer, digging water holes and clearing bushland. They lived well and ate well, but Dan longed to go to toe city—only he didn’t like to leave Dozer behind. So one day they set off and all went well until they reached toe bustling dusty town and Dan confused and muddled his levers and Dozer went wild and upset market stalls and knocked down a lamp-post. Then they returned in disgrace to toe outback where they belonged. The illustrations are elaborate. brilliantly coloured and compelling, but perhaps would appeal more to children odder than toe 4-6-year-olds for whom toe text is so suitable.

My Garden Grows. By Aldren A. Watson. Macmillan.

This is an excellent teaching book which would be an asset to any primer classroom. The author has taken the familiar vegetables—beans, peas, spinach, tomatoes, potatoes, onions and corn, as well as the less familiar egg plant and shown every stage of development in each from seed to full-grown plant. The illustrations are clear and instructive—particularly those of cross-sections of each plant —and the text simple if occasionally slightly American.

Even a very young child could learn much here by merely looking. Nibbleneat. By Daniel Roberts. Oxford University Press. 56 pp. When Pierre found a marmot in toe mountains he decided to take it home for his sister Ann. They called the little animal Nibbleneat and for three glorious days she ruled bite household. But one day she grew ill and died and Pierre felt again toe guilt he had first experienced when he took toe little antmal from its home and native surroundings. Gradually he came to the conclusion that he had done a wicked thing and decided to free a captive marmot in reparation, but how foolishly be set about it. However, in the end he achieved bus desire and only hoped that Nibbteneat could see. This is a delicately written book and an unusually thoughtful one for children 9-11 who love wild animals and are eager to learn. Here Come the Beavers. By Alice E. Goudey. Macmillan. 93 pp. This delightful little book, profusely and beautifully illustrated by Garry McKenzie, tells toe story of two little beavers. Paddletail and Sister, accurately and aimpiy. They leave toe lodge and their nest of cedar chips to swim through toe secret underwater tunnel and eniter the wild world where they team to avoid toeir enemies and work hard, making canals, cutting down trees, and building their dams. Their life through two summers and winters is toW in simple words, before Peddletadl decides to leave toe family and venture abroad to build his own lodge where toe Brown One joins him and becomes his wife. A postscript telle of toe way that beavers are now dropped by parachute into inaccees b e areas where they build toeir dams and so hold back toe good soil and irrigate previously barren land. This is a lovely book for any child over four years for it can be. read aloud to small childrenas well as enjoyed and ap--predated by toe older members of toe family. Marmadake Gees to Holland, by Elisabeth Chapman. 69 pp. In this latest adventure. Marmaduke the red lorry, his driver Joe and Joe’s sister and. nephew Henry, go first to London where they visit Billingsgate Fish Market and then they fly to Holland. Mar*, maduke didn't like flying very much. Once there they see a windmill, visit toe bulb fields, rescue a car from a canal, help a little girl and visit a school, before returning by boat to Britain. This is a gay little story set out in large type and very auitable far 6-8 year olds. j ’ /