CHILDREN'S BOOKS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 401, 9 January 1909, Page 11

CHILDREN'S BOOKS.

, A GLANCE ROUND THE SHOPS. ' The'grdwn-up'' who' 'wanders .into a : bQok-' v shop' afcthis; -Beasts© of/'cfcUeJin, kearclnofi ■a present for.' some child is' apt, to' feel "bo-;' wildered treasures dis-playedj:-and .ono thiliS that' adds'to itho be-i There arc- nowadays' too 'iiiatiy-'book's bound' . f&l er 5 :of-fav-ourites vhnous.'in iheir 'style's as' ,{ Martin*' Rattler;",- "The Heroes," ."The-Child's Book' rof Saints," 'and "Gulliver'B Travels;" ' all' dressed in the. same '.'uiiiform, like.' charity ■' children, who perforce have -no individuality |'tp ;'be. :rec6^ised;: : "-.This].'iS' no ; doubt .a.great;| i convcmenco to, publishers, ■ and - to ; the ■ pur--i ■ chasers, who feef about the tqok.s-as one doesi withlg'ue'stsfaji'ia friend's house, If,ihey..',haVe J 'been;-.invited ; : to. ; be..present ; .in. iihis-'.'-edition i| one may; feel. sure ;thati.they;-: are : respeot'able and desirable, but,there- ends.' l We remember ■ the old; favourites that-meant .sov'mn.ph. -to<''us;-'Sin, s ichildhbod/a'and : { this-;;Tfras:i blue and faded,: arid -that-/was-green and:gold,-: and' :; from thbjar l end .pf;the..rpom dne:;coiilaat;; a; glance ;distinguish;; them,,-' seeing ; just. andwhere -the':' 1 Coral Island"' lay. However, apart from ---• '. , - V-. . tho binding, and thero . are, of-: ; c(jiMe,!''a.--grfiat. ! i:;/ many.: ;- v bp'oks individually - . 'bound, ;ther,ev are".many-;' delightful';,.books•' to -bo foundj and, -. .first ' among v these.,:.- .- .come ' - the. annuals-. which •. seem • to-.-be keoping-up-their-.. old -traditions- very well.- • The "'Boys!- ! Own' An- .' '■nual".;ibf-. this year has'-. • ;a ;serial::by.-5th6,: veteran:', 'Gordon -- Stablo3,' - and. ' : '^Ghims- • • ■ England'-'-r.seeni. full of- .. cham;; i: 'C^!Chatterh6x-j;' ;^'' 1 , . mth ; 'its:;quaint : picture4f' ; - ,is. full of •' admirable..• i. • iJjeaeUhgv^^att^^wvßnd-'t-.^iAVßittleV-'VvFditsiy-'.' .r,contains; many chapters -from Holiday. House." ;tM:-;earhest; 'randMperhaps 1,1 one of- tlio • best;; of :;'na!'ughty-childrqri'::. 'Holiday Hpu^"- ( :-written':by; an; Edinburgh girl,;aw'ay; ! bdckah;:,'the.-beginhihgv,ofi last cen-; . turf j.' and ''.'related';- the domgs of- two - of-: the .naughtiest; ichildreni-'who; -ever; 'lived. ;' Harryand.Laura' -their^hamesj)'anii: it used to, be said iu. Edinburgh ..that the authoress' herself,, was.haughty- EaUra'.' : >Be the ; one .is glad to : see. it incorporated:in*. "Little Follcs;'' .with ,pretty';.uprtosdate; : pictures- • -of! .these quaintly-dressed.children.- ... ■ .Books for-girls are'.always hard to'find, but this ;year -there -are -two-now-Australian; ones that may be: recommeuded. <''That GirJ,' ? by Ethel-',' Turner,. ' arid;. -■''Paradise ■' and-''the. Perrysj", - by:«her sister, 1 ,- Lilian- Turners;-The : ihasterpieces;',bf-romantic-literaijnre haive'been .•ransi»c^.tXoV-:tfiQ , --!^sviii : th6V-Told.'io' the Childreri's Series;',' :'and therp.-one may 'find the stories of tho JKnights of. t : he; : Rpund : Table,, of :the-Faerie Queen/.and .the Odyssey, ' while the chivalrous' deeds-of the. heroes of tho nation's, .'areV recounted;- insimple" language \ for child:, minds.- '- Joaa-of Arc, Nelson,. -Drake. ; Gordon, Columbus, :'one. will find these a!nd ■many-another; - .In'.fact, ; -.-so liberally .has; the ' child's table been sprehd 'with scraps. of : the. ■ very. best-the'literaryworld has' to give that! one 1 ' feels- a ,'littlo : -regretfully' that- there Vwill he nothing- .quite -new when ho or she grows . up;.ridthihg.that.has. : not already' beeif tasted in : predigested- form'. -i Still,'. probably . with-, out ..these {aids ;many;'a;..child.. would- never: have: its mindi^pened-to tha. treasures of the .book-shelves,.- and if the -many..'gain, '.the .one or two- may- suffer'immourned. .-Then there aro-;.the ; chilid,'stories written :by . great -men for : ;.children—Kingsley'g . • "Heroes", .and. "Water Babies,'v ltuskin's ".'King:'of■•' the Golden River,":Hawthorne's ; "Wonder.Book" . and. "Tanglewopd Tales,' which,'by .the. 'w',ay, . do- not, b.egin-. to-compare with -the .''Herpes,'', •and for older;children,'.George Macdonaldls ? ever-delightful tale' of "Ranald Bannerman's Boyhood.",. -: :

Any. liking .the/child may havo for naturo study or /mechanical - science. must- bo - encouraged ..at all. costs, ,and . the ; publishing houses pour out excellent .little-books..dealing with animal, and. plant life; 'and. with the romance of < scientific discovery', and achievement. : The "Romance of/ Engineering,'.', for instance, 'is.a - .book- any-boy-might / be'v delighted to/possess; Kipling's "Jungle Book,!' which' .'has ''come out; in", a ,;new,. editon, ivith coloured -pictures; and the many. beautiful animal : stories, by'./Ernest >Seton .Thompson alid Long, ate'among;the' books most likely, to deliiiht a'child. - ■ •/. .'.-:/ v-