New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-11-22
CHILDREN'S BOOKS.
NEW STORES OF ROMANCE AND REAL
ITY FOR BOYS AND GIRLS.

The largest of those groups into which the
holiday books apt to form themselves is al
ways the one which is dedicated to the chill
dren. Is it, indeed a group? Rather we
inclined to regard it S a thing independent and
apart. very numerous are the examples of
this form of literature which are called upon
every year to sift and to appraise. That the
task has been growing steadily more inspiriting
these last two three seasons has been due to
the raising of the average which has been going
on, and to the ever increasing willingness of
some of the most gifted writer's of the day to
turn aside from their labors for mature readers
in order to produce books for the children. One
of the good results of this Willingness, we may
note in passing is that grave and reverend
seniors may often find their account in the lit
erature of the playroom. Take. for example
Mr. Kipling's latest masterpiece, the Just So
Stories" If that is unmixed joy for the
youngsters. ii is also of delight and
solace for their elders. Another book which we
owe this year to a brilliant writer is Mr. An
drew Lang's collection of some fifteen or twenty
enchanting tales. The Book of Romance"
Nongmans, Green & Coz The stories in this
written by Mrs. Lang from the material
provided by the Arthurian legend, the French
epic of Roland and similar sources. The flavor
of literature is in them. that flavor which can
never be too generously introduced into juvenia
But ana MIS- Lang know tnaC the read
they have particularly in mind it would
never do to be literary in the bookish sense.
These pages are spontaneously romantic, blithe
and sunny as a fairy tale told by some one with
genuine sympathy for the mental processes and
imaginative gifts of children to a circle of curly
headed listeners by winter fire. Mr.. H. J.
Ford has provided quantity of most engaging
illustrations. some of them printed in coors.
Altogether The Book of Romance" promises
to be- like all its predecessors. a success.
In his preface-which contains, by the way,
a negro version of the Orpheus tale which no
student of such matters should miss-Mr Lang
aludes TO the manner in which the old profess
slonal MINISTRIES and tellers of tales took the
adventures of legendary characters and at
tributed them to historical persons like Charlie
magne and his family" The Rev. A. J. Church
has profted by their activities in his volume of
Stories of Charemagne and the Twelve Peers
of France" (The Macmillan Company. In this
he relates for young readers some of the most
fascinating episodes in all literature. The very
chapter headings revive an atmosphere of legend
and faery-"On the Craft of Mawgis," "Of What
Befel at Montalban." How Ralph Entertained
the King" The Treason of Ganelon." "Of the
End of the False Duke Macaire," and How
Huon. Having Slain Giant, Came to Babylon"
The author knows well how to write in the key
He. too, has his illustrations picturesque de-
signs drawn by Mr.. George Morrow, and daintlly
reproduced in colors; and he, too has made
what will be a popular book. A
book adherng far more closely to history, but
the less romantic, Is The Story of Joan
Of Arc for Boys and Girls Aunt Kate Told
1t" Boston: Lee & Shepard), by Kate 4. Car
penter. The author makes that most beguiling
Of all appeals to young readers. the appeal OF
the true story. She is so careful, moreover about
fixing her historical facts in the mind. that she
includes map of France in the time OF Joan Of
Arc among her illustrations But while she
brings the three children who gather around
her suppostitious narrator back TO this map
more than once she tells them the thrilling story
with perfect naturalness and simplicity. She is
instructive. but even more is she entertaining.
Children who read this book will be prepared To
come. when they older to moro serious
books on the great French heroine. but they Will
remember her the more viv'dly for having first
made her acquaintance in the sunlit fields OF
romance.
There are other books OF Old World charm
before us but for the present we may relinquish
this line of exploration in the mass OF holiday
juvenilia. and turn to some of the stories based
modern motives. There is Mr. W. d. How
ells's new book The Flight Of Pony Baker
production. The small boy who is its hero is
drawn to the life-a true boy with all his
naughtiness. resentments. hardnesses soft soft
nesses, cruelty and sentiment His life in a
Western river town gives opportunity for much
mirth provoking narrative. Perhaps the note of
Renaissance is IN these chapters-we like to
think Ponys grievances. his burning resolve
to run away to the Indians. with the circus.
when not sufficiently appreciated understood
at home, dealt with by the author in a vein
OF affectionate irony that is captivating. The
ghost story which fills chapter We would
like TO have omitted in future editions
Robert Leighton's story of English school life
The Boys OF Waveney' (G p. Putnams Sons)
is healthy and vivacious marked by agreea bic
suspense and poetic justice. The suffering hero
who is model OF manIiness and nobIeness
energies triumphantly from his trials; the self
indulgent villain receives his deserts The
American boy millionaire. who is leading fig
ure in the school, might he a little less of a god
from the machine than the author makes him
he is something of a youthful Sherlock Holiness
but not disposed to quarrel with a story
so entertaining. The Secret of the Everglades"
Charles Scribner's sons, by BESSIE Marchant
resembles Mr. Leighton's story in that il deals
with crime nd impresses the lesson that poetic
justice is certain. 1t describes the struggles of
a group of young people who have lost nearly
all their natural protectors to make living
among the Florida swamps and it is, on the
whole cheerful tale; even the murder motive
fails to make it glomy.
The story of a dogs heaven-few people would
believe that such story could be told simply,
naturally and successfully. Yet this may truth
fully be said of Marshall Saunderss book
Beautiful Joe's Paradise" a.. c. Page & Coz.
Her first dog story ''ReautifuI Joe wont IN tho