IN STORYLAND

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18278, 20 December 1922, Page 3 (Supplement)

IN STORYLAND

PERHAPS the very greatest plea- | suro ,'n Christmas is the Christmas books. Even the tiniest

child is alilo to get a thrill from pictures; and in children's books the pictures grow more beautiful with each year. Wo have had a long reign of the grotesque, which surely must have puzzled many a curly headed boy or buster cut girlie. But our artists are back again to normal and many of the books illustrated for children no longer show large-headed piu-point-cyed babies : tho little ones arc pretty as tlioy ought to be. All children nro either beautiful or quaint; and these have- got back into books. Hurrah then for Christmas hooks! Boys and girls of ten, littlo kiddies of six, toddlers of three—there are books and pictures for you all. Now let us see what we can find to plenso every one of you dear things .this Christmas. Even if you don't get them all. it is nice to read about them, isn't it?

fall them. A savage, chief befriends them iu return for their help in exterminating the huge, apes which terrify the islanders, Their pet is a leopard kitten which Eric rescues from a giant spider web; a territic fire sweeps over the island; an attack by Chinese pirates follows, and then tho bad characters of the •' Yorkshire Lass " reappear to meet with a terrible dcith. All kinds of real adventure. The exceedingly good illustrations are by ('. M. Padday, one, of whose pictures is already known to Aucklanders.

Clancing through a number of books from Blaekie and Son (London), there is •'The Green Fields Book," whose first picture is that of two little tennis players, clad in up-to-date sports clothes. Contrasted with thia is that of a little girl who asks the smart robin, " Who's your tailor?"—tho colouring being very dainty. A real child's story of the lost ball—a bright, red one which refused to be found. Giving it up. tho children went to have. "a squint at the chicks.'' They found old Oetavia, a brown hen, sitting on a nest; decided to lift her into one of the emptv coops, and—there was the red ball! Tho " Little Green Leaf,'' too, is just right for a five-year-old.

" Footp'.ate L"C.k " by Thomas Cross (Blaekie and Son).- There are boys who must be enginedrivcrs, and Dick Kenyon was one of them. His uncle has refused to allow him to learn to drive, he prefers him to be a doctor. But when Dick overhears two men plotting destruction to tho train, he jumns from a bank on to the roof of the carriage as it thunders out of tho tunnel, finds the driver doped and tho second man only too glad of his hcip in stoking, and so saves the

Every child whose heart has yearned for a coloured balloon will sympathise with Lenny in " The Air Ball Adventure." A little girl, then grandpa, then a policeman, then a nigger, then a and ever so many more—all chasing ;, r .T tho olusivo thing—until at last—well you know what always happens to balloons.

It. is a good idea (o have different artists for a child's book : and the result of this in " Sunny Days " i.< to make one wonder which is the most charming of the beautiful illustrations. Dorothy Pees has done '" Tidying up the Garden " ; Hilda f'owham, tho " Fairy Wood "; "In Fiance," by Alice Cook, is lifelike in its detail; and "Our Castle." three children up in a tree taking cocoa from the outstretched hand of a chubby little sister is delightful. "Little 80-Peep "is there in new guise, and " Sand and Sea," by Honor Appletoxi. gives one of the best impressions of the space of a sunny beach that a child could see. Each has its appropriate verses.

Another delightful collection of verses are linked together by line drawings and pretty colour schemes in " A Child's Posy." "Peter the Piper" is a beautiful little picture with which Alice Cook has illustrated Lilian Holmes' clever and appealing verse. " Little Lamb Who Made Thee?" is good water colour work to accompany Blake's poem.

Jessie Pope is popular as a writer of children's verse, and A. G. Kennedy has interpreted her cleverly with coloured sketches of puppies and kittens. Pups throw down orange peel for a muffin-dog to tread on; a fire-dog squirts water on the flames; dog gardeners. " when they think it time for lunch, dig up a buried bone to crunch," a policeman-dor; controls the traffic, and air-dogs flvt One clever dog " can paint and draw. He holds a palette in his paw, and paints the portrait of his wife —he's really pot her to tho life—another dog he showed his sense by putting up a garden fence." The post-dog bringing a letter which is taken by a smutty-nosed housemaid-dog. is a dear thine; and while, the "batcher-dog finds a quiet nook for reading an adventure book, a hungry thief (a rat) crawls up behind and steals the beef." Then come the adventures of Pip the pup and Kissio the kitten, who go forth to see if there really is such a place as Nursery Tale Land. They meet 80-Peep/nro given a pot oJ jam by Red Riding Hood ; then they buy tarts at three a penny*irOm the pieman; decline nn invitation from Mother Hubbard to see her performing dog. Puss-in-Boots tempts poor Kissie with a rabbit, and when they go into the wood to look for ono for themselves they are pursued by the three bears coming back from their morning walk. Children of a humorous turn will enjoy the picture of the frog who would a-wooing go with his "lily-white ducks." And so on, meeting Humpty Dumpty, Jack and Ji". Cinderella, and all the rest. This, and other nonsense, is contained in " Just a Funny 80.k." For Older Children. For children a little older. Blackie's volume of " Fireside Stories " is tempting. Marjorio Maud's new bridesmaid has the I place of honour. With what sympathy will youngsters read of the hoy "who got Btickv--always. No matter how carefully they buttoned on his overalls, and tied on his" bibs and feeders and things, always at the end of meals that little boy was fearfully sticky. Of course if he had any chocolates or other treats he was very much worse-it was truly terrible." Im- j asrine him then on a railway journey, when at a station he first of all got out to sec what the engiiicdriver was doing, and generallv poking about; he began tho journey and in a while brought and ate bananas, chocolates, jammy cakes, and sweets. His friend, a lady, used her handkerchief to try to clean him and then forgetting that she had used her hankies for George's face and hands, wiped her own face with them in a hurry, without thinking. His grandmother, was shocked at the appearance of the boy and the lady friend, but her maid was mure shocked still to sec (Jraiidmanima herself, for she had taken Ceorgc by the hand and had then leaned upon her hand. It Wile grandmother who made him a feeder which was fastened with strings "all over his back like harness! " A\i irresistible picture of a boy in a dentist's chair; and a story about, tho ("holmondelcv children who made real suspension bridges with their Meccano outfit, and plaved proper! v with their plasliecne — "not making pills and trying to play chemist—or nasty little cakes, so likely to net mixed with the real food at teatime -not at "11. And when they were drawing, they didn't start drawing old men with high hats—and small boys worse lookipg than nnv small buy could be—and awful little girls--the, Cholmondelevs were, perfectly good and astonishingly clever. ' Humph ! 1 wonder! " The Children's Year." This contains nature stories by Margaret Cameron, i and an abundance' of poems by popular j writers. Most of the drawings are in line, and there are also sonic beautlf il colour plates. Quite a lot of information is given in an attractive .story-book form.

situation, which is a. race between two trains. This is the beginning of grcit adventure for him; he re. cues the " Whit? Hope," a pugilist whom the rival sii'e, working for a negro hive thrown" out of the train; he finds a truant boy on a viaduct, doing hazardous thing* every day because he is afraid of diving into water under ice; he in.de»s frirnds with a bogus " five-million-dol »r " bov— one long "series of daring deeds—a fine bov's book.

••By England's Aid" by O. A. Plenty (Bluckio and Son).—This "veteran writer still holds his own. The prosent book is really a continuation of " By Pike and Dyke " and tolls of events ' which freed the Netherlands 15851604; England, by the defeat and destruction of the Armada, bv the capture of Cadiz etc., had a great place in this war. Hcntv gives great prase to the generalship of Sir Francis Vero, wlio perhaps more than any other man, contributed to the successful attempt of Holland to throw off tlie yoke of Spain.

" The Boys o? Dyall's H'use " by Richard Bird (Bluckie and Son.)—is an attractive school story--the resistance t) unpopular masters, the l:oy who was a ventrilonuist, and who thus ragged the over-disciplinary teacher*, the c-uk who took a hand -"the red flag--and n dozen other incidents are humorously dealt with.

" A-Sailing We Will G= " by Elizabeth Crulv (Mills and Bonn. L iron.) — A little girl is invited to take command of a'ship; the rough men obey her, and off they go. S;-ch adventures! Mermaids hiring men into the depths, cannibals with bows and arrows, islands dis-

BOOKS OF ADVENTURE. A very good selection of holiday rending is offered to hoys and girls in their teens—hooks of .stirring adventure. b:.oks of .school life—even an adventurous girl h . storv. Among them are:--I "'The Adventures of E.ic Blackburn by Harry Collingwood, (Bhick-ie and Son, • London.)-His ship, being burnt by a huge meteorite this young otlieer is tin solo I sirvivor. Aftw many days in a lifeboat, ! lie is picked up by the "Yorkshire Lass. ' 1 which is captainlesß. The crew welcome , him tell him of treasure which thev aro seeking, and by the aid of the captain s ■ little son, Billv, he .steers the ship to the goal. Again "shipwreck overtakes the young officer, and strange adventures bo-

covered ami lakcn in the name of ilio King, a g'host, a regiment < f octopuses, fnnu which a school ol wli lies delivers tin; ship. When mutiny breaks out,

honor declaims!—" You pack of cowards' Yqii lubbers! You hoodlums! Yon sand-fleas! Get ol the quarter deck. I'm oiilv one. You can't all gel killed. Tin going l<> die here. Go on get some rum and work up vour pluck ! " etc. She is as courageous ;is the most dare-devil man; a most exciting book !

" The Lucky Tub " by Elizabeth Croly (Mills and Boon, London)—is a book of clever for children of all ages.

CHRBSTMAS BOOKS

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" The Chinese Fairy Book " edited by Dr. R. Wilheini Fisher, Unwin, London) —with exquisite pictures by George W. Hood, contains quaint nursery stories of this Oriental people.

" The White Witch of Rosel " by E. E. Cowper (Blaekie and Son}-—is an ideal girls' books. It has lots of reading in it, and the adventures of the four girls holiday-making in the Channel Islands. A "littlo girl known as " 'Iho Bishop," her big sister, Lady Poingdestro become friendly with them, and a thread of mystery runs through the story. The discovery of a magpie's nest discloses to Pcronel, tho " white witch " the hidden document which has caused so much trouble, and the tragedy is averted—an entertaining story of Guernsey life.

" The Hidden Hone" by Dorothy Kin-toll (Blaekie and Son) -an amusing light story of a little boy who protends to be a rabbit, burrows under a wall and discovers a beautiful garden with a

lovely little blind girl in it. How all the ehidren become friendly makes an engaging tale.

" Birk'.e cf 1118. " by Evelyn Smith (Blackie and Sin) —B.iikie is rerlly Elizabeth Sinclair. She goes to schorl, is put in Form 1118, has to endure snubs because she once said something " ran in (lie family,'' cuts grass with her sister's manicure scissors in d fault of finding proper t ols, fails dismally.to get the garden prize, lias discouragement hern and there, but wins through—tho kind cf life that every girl has at boarding school —a happy, truo-to-life school-girl story.

" The Twins, Papa and Parker " by Agnes Crozicr Hcrbertson (Hlackie and S on ). —Papa is ill and the twins Pamela mid Mike, decide to look after him. Parker had been Papa's batman during the war and he continues to make all kinds of wonderfully suitable arrangements in an unobtrusive wav. At the seaside, where part of the familv go for Easter leaving the mother and babies behind, they have pleasant times which make the story.

" Jennifer J." bv Ethel Turner (Ward, Lock Melbourne).—A book that girls wrj |iU e for its understanding of girlhoofl and its general air of fun. It is all about voung editors, poets and writers generally in the Australian authoress' happy nrmne>- Another Australian writer is Lilian M' Pyke. whose " Sheih At Happy Hills" (Ward, 'Lock, Melbourne) is a pleasant story of girlhood. Sheila's mother has made an unhappy second marriage, her husband, she lolls Sheila, has

disappeared on account of her unjust accusations. Elizabeth is a doctor who lives with them. At the death of Mrs. Chester, Sheila goes to Happy Hills. Here she finds Peter Goodwin, her stepfather. He tells he.' that her money is gone and offers her a home. At the mine near by there is a serious leakage of gold, and Elizabeth's fiance is very concerned about it. Meantime Renfrew alias Goodwin, has, as postmaster, access t'.i Sheila's correspondence. Things become very exciting, the " stepfather " i.s found to be ;i bogus one and a thor-ough-paced villain, but ho dies repmitant and Christinas brings good luck to Elizabeth and Sheila.

THE ROAD TO FAIRYLAND.

AN ARTISTIC TREAT..

Annie Ronton! and Ida, Rcntoul Outhwaito are two sisters whose fairy stories and pictures are accorded a very high place. There is a daintiness in Mrs. Outhwaite's drawings which is individual — an entire lack of the grotesque. Mrs. Outhwaite's fairy girl is a charming child with a mass of brown curly .hair. The animals are Australian ; but such is the writer's talent that their appeal is universal —the supreme test of talent. "Not all fairy stories happened ace upon a time; this one happened last summer." A grown-up may ho pardoned for wanting to read or sec what happened to the fairy child. When she actually goes to school and tries to persuade the teacher that she is really a 'any, the story becomes quite exciting. The "Btfch Boys" attend school with their fur well combed and i! fir claws scrubbed; but "the din was deafening"—they w>uld all talk together—they shouted out the art* swers to questions all together and in different speech. Polly and Joey (the parrots), would screech : llopsy and Wally skipped up and down ; the baby Kookaburras roared with laughter, and Bruno stood on his head and shouted "liurroosha!" This made the whole school laugh; his tartan patch was so funny. Brauo had worn hii? only corduroy pants, with climbing so many gum-trees. He had to have a, bic; tartan patch on them; it was the only material Maykin had large enough. Bruno felt he was one of the gay Gordons as he strutted about). They could do nothing with Willie Wagtail, for he was continually "wagging it " "reorgy Goanna aflcn got into trouble for putting out his tongue, to catch the flies, and the Lyre bird was kept in for mimicking the Duchess. He hud to write out ever so many lines about politeness and good manners; but instead he wrote "Imitation is the shicerest flattery." 'W hen Bruno was given a sum, 3 eges at 4£d lib. flour at 3Jd, £lb. butter 2d, £lb raisins 4£d, Jib. of sugar 3d, he made his result Cukes."—and so on with the nonsense. At the party to whi h the Bush Boys were invited. Bruno and YYinky .quarrelled about who had eaten the most supper — they pelted each other with ice-cream and jellies, grabbing it from the table in handfuls like mud, etc., etc.

The iliißlrations to this book are the most delightful things. If any aro to be singled out in such a collection,, that of the little green door, with the fairy child waiting for admittance, Sylvie standing on the great bubble in (he air, and that of the fairy conversing with the frog, Kexy, in the green pool, another of the child flying off from the tree tops into the bllie of tho night sky, and the black and white drawings, of which Mrs. Ottthwaite is so skilled a master, are exquisite. The little gii'l being entertained by the Brow"n:es, the wizened old dwarf men of the forest ! the fairies with their lacy wings out-lined against the adoom of the bush ! litt'e Kav sitting on the moss in a mushroom ring! etc., etc. The drawing of the foliage is so delicate; the lines cf tho child's body so faithful in their detail.

When Mrs. Outhwaite's earlier book was published, the drawings were on exhibition in the Fine Arts Society's galleries, and H.M. the Queen was amon" the purchasers. The nresont volume " Tho Litt'-o Green Road To Fairyland " is published by A. and ('. Black. London, and it is a sheer delight. It is full of nature, so naturally woven into the story that mothers will love reading it to the children, arid children will gurgle with merriment at the funny doings of the "bush" inhabitants. It is a perfect combination of story and picture, artistic and lovely.