Books For The Very Young Readers

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31862, 14 December 1968, Page 4

Books For The Very Young Readers

THE TWELVE DANCING PRINCESSES (Collins) is an old tale by Andrew Lang about a cowherd who was told in a dream to go to a castle and meet a princess whom he would marry. At the castle he found no fewer than 12 princesses, but eventually he married the one of his choice. In this book the story is beautifully illustrated by Adrienne Adams.

In the text and illustrations of THE TIGER WHO CAME TO TEA (Collins), Judith Kerr strikes a note of happy fantasy to which small children will respond. The story begins when Sophie opens the door in response to a ring, and there finds a big, stripy tiger who pleads that he is very hungry and asks if he might have tea with her. He eats all the food in the house, and drinks all the milk, all the orange juiee, all Daddy’s beer, and all the water in the tap. The tiger goes, and the family go to a cafe where they have a lovely supper of sausages and chips and ice cream.

DOCTOR DOLITTLE AND THE PIRATES is a story adapted for beginners from Hugh Lofting’s famous story. This book deals with an episode when Doctor Dolittle and his animals are sailing home from Africa. They had reached the Canary Isles (identifiable because canaries came out to meet them) when a pirate ship overtook them. After some decidedly chilly moments Doctor Dolittle and party escape. Colourful pictures by Philip Wende illustrate Al Perkins’s adaptation: the publishers are Collins and Harvill.

THE LITTLE RED ENGINE AND THE TADDLECOMBE OUTING (Faber) is a story that has less about the engine than is usual in “Little Red Engine” stories. In this one the engine is merely the vehicle that takes a party to the seaside. One of the passengers happens t<F be a dog. Dogs are embargoed, but this one is taken on the engine with the connivance of the driver and it was as well the dog

was there because he was the rpeans of saving two small bqvs from nasty ends in some adfresive mudflats. Colourful pictures are by Leslie Wood, the usual illustrator of “Little Red Engine” stories.

The coloured pictures with' which Georgette' Apol illustrates Maryke Reesink’s' THE FISHERMAN'S FAMILY (Oxford University Press) are ’ ■ notable, even when judged by the very high standards reached by presentday illustrators of children’s books. The double-page spread of children in a play-

ground bears strong resemblance to the French Impressionists’ work. The story is set in a Dutch seaside town, and tells of a boy's efforts to support his family when it is thought his fisherman father has been lost at sea.

CHARLOTTE AND FORTUNA is an appealing piece of fantasy about the efforts of Fortuna Bloomenpot. a market gardener, to transport a tree to Finland to a customer. Charlotte had sent Fortuna an apparent failure of a seed, but in Fortuna’s hands the seed germinated and from it a huge tree grew, so large that the only method of transport Fortuna could think of was to hitch two balloons to it. After adventures the tree reached Finland, where it and Fortuna lived happily ever after —Fortuna with Charlotte. The story is told and illustrated by Miche Wynants, Faber and Faber are the publishers. Plop was a young barn owl who ought to have been doing his own hunting, but he was afraid of darkless. How Plop learns to enjoy the. night-time is told with plenty of verve, bv Jill Tomlinson in THE OWL WHO WAS AFRAID OF THE DARK (Methuen, 96 pp.) The five to eight-year-olds will find it easy to tremble with Plop and rejoice in his triumphs. Plop should be popular.

In HERE COMES JAN (Dent, 71 pp.) and JAN’S BIRTHDAY (Dent, 71 pp) Leonard Roggeveen describes the adventures of a little Dutch boy, his dog and his friends, Farmer Klerk, Mr Hyacinth the painter and Mr Albert the clarinetist The five to nine-year-olds will enjoy meeting Jan and at that age birthdays are of absorbing interest Helen Morgan’s joyful story of MRS PINNEY AND THE BLOWING DAY (Faber and Faber, 64 pp.) is warmly recommended for small children and for parents who enjoy reading aloud. It is a richly-descrip-tive account of a windy, wonderful washing day and the surprises it brought to Mrs Pinney the washerwoman and her husband, Ed, the engine-driver. i Four to seven-year-olds will I be impressed by the very large, dramatic illustrations to the text of THE GOLDEN TREASURE, by Maryke Reesink (Oxford University Press, 30 pp.). The artist Jaap Tol has used many sombre greys, purples and browns to illustrate the story of the “Proud Lady,” who sent a sea captain on a mission to bring back the most precious thing in the whole

world. The wise captain returned with a shipload of corn, which the selfish lady ordered to be thrown into the harbour. Because of her folly, the whole town Is ruined, and the proud lady is at last reduced to a sadder and wiser woman.

Edward Ardizzone is a wellloved and most prolific writer and illustrator, who has dedicated his latest book, TIM TO THE LIGHTHOUSE, (Oxford University Press. 44 pp.) to his tenth grandchild. Three to six-year-olds will find the story truly*, exciting and satisfying, with its two* “desperate villains” Who’ Sr©

finally “foiled again.” Tim is the . one Who noticed one stormy night that the Tight from the lighthouse was not shining any more, and with his friend the old fisherman, and two stowaway friends, he rowed out to discover the lighthouse keeper bound and unconscious. It was the work of wreckers, intent on looting a large passenger vessel due to pass by that night, but Tim and his friends managed to repair the light and to summon the coastguards in time to save the sjjip and

catch the evil men As always Edward Ardizzone’s illustrations are quite delightful.

THE LITTLE COCKEREL by Victor G. Arnbrus tells the story of a poor woman's cockerel who found a gold piece but had it taken by the Sultan. His persistence in trying to get it back, his eventual success and his reward from the old woman are simply related and beautifully illustrated in this charming version ’of an old story. This book io produced by the. Oxford University Press and ‘ would make . » colourful gift for a small child, t

■ .IN, THE .FOREST (Faber , paperback, 37 pp.) tells of a : little, bey’s happy and carejfree outing with lion, elephants, bears, kangaroos, stork, monkeys and a rabbit. Story and pictures are by Marie Hall Ets.

Gay, original illustrations by Gerald Rose bring to life the old story of the gingerbread man ■ whom no-one could catch. Barbara Ireson retells the tale of THE GINGERBREAD MAN (Faber paperback 31 pp.).