Young holiday readers

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34047, 10 January 1976, Page 8

Young holiday readers

Nicola Bayley’s book of NURSERY RHYMES, published by Cape at $5.40, sets the familiar rhymes in quite beautiful illustrations 'which are the justification of this new edition. There is bright colour and a decorativeness which is a little more than prettiness, no ogres, and a pleasant cheerfulness; a thin book, however, with no unusual rhymes included. FAIRY TALES by Alison Uttley in a collection chosen by Kathleen Lines, published by Faber at $7.30, and illustrated by Ann Strugnell, is a book worth getting for a reader between seven and 10, especially perhaps for a girl. There are 13 stories in the collection, selected from many books Alison Uttley has written since 1932. These are not the usual familiar fairy tales, but spring from the author’s imagination and the country folklore which she knows well. Parents will find that these stories read aloud well; Alison Uttley is never dull or repetitive in her narrative; her characters are lively and their countryside memorable. To taste the living cadences of the story, read first perhaps “One Strand River,” taken from “John Barleycorn.” THE WATER BABIES, by Charles Kingsley, with illustrations by W. Heath Robinson, has been reissued to mark Charles Kingsley’s centennial in a facsimile of the 1915 edition at $12.10 (Hutchinson). We all know the story, but what an enormous moral tale it is in its completeness! Most parents reading it aloud will skip some of the gruelling parts in accord with the more refined modern taste. It is a beautifully produced book, and in a year which has seen two new biographies of the author, many adults may have had their critical impulses stirred to buy it for themselves. THE DREAM OF CHIEF CRAZY HORSE by David Pownall, published by Faber at $2.70 in paperback (more expensive in hardback) is a play written especially for performance by children, and it is the sort of play which a school-teacher looking for one to produce with a whole class or larger group participating in, will fall upon with enthusiasm, thanks and relief. Its glory is that it is suitable for any ages' between 10 and 15. particularly for boys, has at least 40 named parts, and more ad lib almost as Aztecs, Wampanoags and so on. There are two more or less main parts, General Crook and Crazy Horse, and in terms of production great scope for crowd schemes and exciting climaxes. Some children enjoy reading plays to themselves like stories, and they might appreciate owning this. So

will a child looking for strong parts to act. Mostly, however, teachers will buy this one. Violent kidnapping has become so prevalent round the world that the gentle methods of the Likely brothers. Hardly and Scarcely, and their mother, Pretty, in Margaret Mahy’s THE GREAT MILLIONAIRE KIDNAP (Hutchinson, $5) come as something of a relief. This is not the most successful of Mrs Mahy’s books for children, but it has a distinct appeal. Both the perpetrators and the victim of the kidnapping soon come to terms with reality and there is a happy ending all round. Jan Brychta’s pictures are an added delight. For younger children, Andy Pandy returns in three new books from the Brockhampton Press. This time he has a shop full of toys and groceries, a kite, and a house to paint. His old friend Teddy remains his constant companion. ANDY PANDY’S KITE, ANDY PANDY’S SHOP, and ANDY PANDY PAINTS HIS HOUSE are all clearly and colourfully illustrated. Each tale is self-contained and the endings are happy enough in spite of disasters along the way with string, flour, and paint. These tales are about the right length for bed-time stories; there are no tongue-twisters in the text to trip unwary readers. Only the price — $5.40 each — is daunting.