New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-12-21
THEIR TASTE IN BOOKS.
Favoites of Rich Children 4re
Those of Poor Children.
lat do the children OF the rich read?

What do the children OF the rich read?
There have been many studies Of the tastes OF the
children OF tie masses. revealed IN the public
and travelling libraries. Now comes a woman with
her chd-el's library in one OF the fashionable
streets just of Ffth-ave., cater the tastes OF
the children OF wealth. They must pay 81 a year
70 belong here. after which they may come and
change their books, send a maid do so: If
there are five subscribers in a ueighborhood, they
may have q travelling library among them.
Chiefly. though. this is ? bureau OF information
for the mother engulfed the torrent Of chdren's
books that pour from the press
The illustration Of chtld-eu'= books is very IN
1e-or." says the founder Of the library, chiefly
Tor the reason that publishers VII. pay what Is
necessary 10 get good work. Anything IS good
enough Tor childrer's books they think so long as
II is bright and striking. I knew ye-y fine artist
who asked BY publishing house what he
would take illustrate A certain book. When he
had named his price they said they could get it
done more cheaply
Certainly said he. cooly: you can get 1t done
FOR one-ffth that price And they did. Publishers
vii even take old plates made for other book
and stick them in At random. apparently. some
Uues.
Put some OF the very best artists cannot illustrate
chiIGrer's books. Children care Only for action IN
Flus-ra,fon Nothing else makes airy impression on
them. Artists drawing for children must illustrate
only The verbs. never the nouns. Some Of them
never can learn that.
But now. look at these" and sh@, took from a
artist, illustrated editions Of Mother Goose" and
Every picture is very much alive Children would be
sure n HE them. And yet won't recommend them
atmosphere Of coarseaess throughout them all II IS
al TOO mucB ou the yellow journal colored supple
ides from thsm that coarseness is hun1or: ,o,,
What DO WEALTHY children like? Well very much
What al other children like. For instance, we nave
-1lss aleo,lS looks on the Shelves. puI uey -, a.
never taken out because every girl who comes mere
1s Len, BOY 40 not read mem DuL SIir - P' %
tl.het-t- the glTs classic We have noLLllhg 10 90
with books about children. written for groWn-ups
For instaHce children care nothing about Emmy
Il g-se u cultivate the taste in them. I wouldn
give CHILD any book that criticised Or made fun
- efoWL-Gp people. whether teachers or otheIs
from the child's poin OF view. We enjoy it, ana
cIIch'e over u. tecalFe We are grown up ana We
appreciate the Joke BIT # seems It is going
70 encourage thu 'sm.rt precocious attitude IN
There are a few books that children and adults
Eeern 10 enjoy exactly he same. The Alice IN
WONDERLAND books are p.e-eminent!y OF this c4ass
20 BE- any difference IN ne enjoyment Of children
Eno adults IN them don't know any others Just
Ike tFen. But Uncle Tons Cabin is practically
n ne same class.
= asked q Southern woman who IS among our
upon our shelves She said hat Southern people
dlo not like Uncle Toms Cain because 1t gave
t9e subject TOO exclusively from the Northern point
Cabin" is great book and thTe IS nothing in it
'As for poetry whether about Children or for chill
oreu. J find that very few childrel read It
themselves though they like TO have it read to
largely in the rhythm Of the voice. | do not know
q any child who reads for himself the poetry Of
1t is astonishing to me what infedor literature
times simply because II is moral and harmless
One unique feature Of this childs library is the
French aud German books upon the sheAes which
these little misses Fedately borrow And there are
ETH younger books Fl both language particularly
French which mothers nurses and maids take out
70 read even English for themselves Such a writer
Anatole France has written books for very little