The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-05-23
BOOKS DEAR TO CHILDREN.
mn STORIES STILL FAVoRITEs WITH
THE YOUNG.

v,.h,ons DO Not Chnnge-rhe Pictures Arc
the Great Things. aud They Must Re
screaming with C~olor-NakinE tho Books.
ON A counter In an uptown book store. lying
not far from each other, woro two books. One
was a little, thin narrow paper affair, worn with
time and rough usage, that bore the imprint Of n
London publisher Of q century and a half ago.
The other was large and new, with a cover
glowing in rede and greens and yellows and
purples. The picture on the cover was Cinder-
ella trying on the glass slipper. and the contents
ofthc hook we're stories of Cinderella, the Sleeping
Beauty and other favorites Of children. Tho
contents OF tho little old book included some Of
,be same stories, told in a different fashion.
The two books gave striking proof Of the fact
that the child Of to-day wants about the Same
stories as the child of a century and a half ago.
Children's books have changed in detail, but not
IN substance.
In Williamsburg, not far from tho Broadway
ferries. stand two huge, grim-looking brick
buildings on either side OF a narrow street. One
Of them is silent day and night, the sign Of a
warchouss; but from the other all day long
come the confused noises OF machinery, the hum
OF many wheels, the screaming Of saws, tho
complaining walls of planners, the rumble of
presses, interminglcd and Joined until at n dis
lance they melt into a low grumble. Here are
turned out nearly all Of the childrcns toy
looks published in this country, in add.
,ion to countless other things for chill
drcn, such as paper dolls and paper
soldiers, tin soldiers and lead soldiers, blocks,
games, and puzzles. The making Of picture
books for children, or toy books, as they arc
called in the trade, while coming under the gen
eral head Of publishing, is really very different
from ordinary book making and occupies a dis
tinct place. To carry on the business a great
plant is needed. capable OF turning out not only
an immense quantity. but also an immense
variety of books, for the profits on them are SO
small, a fact due principally TO English and
German competition. that fair returns come
only from large sales. In addition to this the
business is most uncertain. No minds are so
tickle as those Of children, and the keenest man
can never tell what book or set of books is going
on hand, a large stock Of all as an adequate
preparation for an unexpected run on one thing.
vide ID rs a q saie as ss ehiIdren's picture books, and / it is is
equally safe to hazard q guess that less is known
az about nnb 5hslF %f has Fl a W. !n a h REstfaiyg as in Gtaesh
Ing as tho publishing Of books for grown-ups.
i,s leaves Of linen or stout paper. is cover q thg
same material or of boards, its f%nll,page solored
p printers a of l ppine sss sis 81 fairy GST lers sn %a slsk f. its it.
lie chap-book of England such as was seen
myth and history. The last chap-books were
published Mss a n Pons t than S 6 t %ssnta sGs S sSG; sns
colorcd picture books came in to take their
R% 1sSSe: in the the f frst half half Of It this SC century Mt by By Parks &
Marks of London, They were crude in color,
S Ssns|Ts. S faT al fln the ;eo and wf hed n to- IS doSSe f py
hand. The Germans followed shortly after with
books the colors Of which were stenGilled In, a
and 1t is not more than fifty years ago that John
Elton published the first toy book in this country.
an adaptation from the German of the story or
"s!ovebiy Peter" Stoncilling was used for
twenty years. when it gave place to color print
printing is giving way to photography, and chill
dren. II they desire it. can have as high art pic
seem to to care snei much Tor high art to Tie exclusion Of
the cid things. With the improyemenrs in color
vices that save time, cost, and labor. and at the
same time make q better book;
publishing other books Is II the very beginning.
books for grown folks are made the very first
requisite is TO have a story written: With The
for years and years: Az he has e do E to
' III a,, ,nS %ERiaitufs part 's OF lis lis J s'Ssssfe'c A are
s sny Of aao the s'0t esssen aGsi f not %san for ai'eT Whe
would dare to make Prime. Charming marry ono
1t means that his editor. for he has an editor,
has the story rewritten. and either condensed
Ing on hand a goodly number Of little slips that
accepting anything that p5leases his fancy. But
the point is that IL all the writers in the world
enough stories to print books for uncounted
generations OF children yet to come, the same
long since gathered to their fathers.
Having his stories, he must have his pictures.
Taught him that with very small Children the
two must go hand in hand. Here. then, he
ultra Artistic r Il mind there Is little that is al
% fn4s soo X 'h Thdp iadi ra%in q is q 1 nos what pit
might he. hut. even with the critic thai
amounts to little, What he does object to IL
s ahs s sGleT; t splat elRsdinS On T witS h Rlde' feS ysllpT SoI
harmony, Such critics have been spending a
end in the past two or three years have put OIL
the market a large number Of "high.art" pic
ture books. The stories are written on a strictly
out formula. Whereby the child shall receive the
greatest amount Of mental nourishment com
blned with the maximum Of pleasure. The pic
point, with ong-waisted ladies and iong:shankeG
ssd ae%s and fi pisss All doSSe X EfSas einaey pale hs! ysi
lows; blues, green's. and grays. The books are
have not taken SO we'll with the children. The!
may be mildly exciting and interesting whei
| |Rsy ' sssaa q %,S SEss IF II FIST Foi F ssaaa' ne / s% snHpG IL,
bl9oa Ct an Engi isa or the pumpkin coacl
waiting for the Awakening SsaHysi kiss s Of Prince charm
ing, they fade into insiRnfticance.
the sn a@r, Isdsa and lite iitsr aly's sdSeatRi aTpS 81 tho lS e ell
before he has f9Egottcn the nursing, bottle cor
profit and loss accounts tell him much NOR
plainly than any theory what child-natur
necessary work. Crude and rough as some Of tn
pictures seem to be. Il is not every one tina
can make ,. them n; There T. need Of
appeal to the child. As a rule thos
men and women best fitted to do the work ar
hllcd with the idea that 1t must be Artistic, will
hcapital A. As n consequence most OF the worl
must be done by persons i'll fitted for the task
and as a result the work Is not always what tn
publisher desires. But. knowing as he doe
what he child wants. by dint OF standing owe
\ his artists, and all but guiding their hands, b.
gets in a measure n satisfactory picture.
He now has his story and his pictures, or, I,
Ilt IT more properly, his pictures and his story
Ihencetorward The work is purely mechanical
Ills pictures, IL they arc to be printed in colors
arc put on the plate and run through the presse
as many times as there are colors used. or II iii
o~Sraphed, they are put on small stones and thel
Transferred to large ones, on one of which will b
llClMreR for three or four hnakg AtLnr In