New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-12-09
Literary NesOs and Crfffcfsn'.

rich dark green cloth. A less pretentious little
volume for everyday use by younger children is
Eva March Tappans translation from the
Swedish of THE Golden Goose and Other Fairy
tales Houghton. Miffiin & Coz, illustrated
with line drawings that offer an instant
appeal to the Christmas paint box A 'cente-
nary edition" of Hans Christian Andersen's
"The Ugly Duckling'' Cdoffat Yard Coz is
a thin, small-quarto book printed manila
paper. with illustrations in color by NJ. H.
Squire 1t is bound in boards, with a cover de-
sign that is an artistic rendering of the old
fashioned ''toy book style. The last of the col
lections OF old favorites is 1.-THE Oak Tree
Fairy Book little, Brown & Coz, edited by
Clifton Johnson and illustrated by Willard
Bonte. These stories are from many sources,
some of them even of American origin, and they
have been adapted to the taste of those to whom
"savagery, distressing details and excessive
pathos" are abhorrent. The editor has been
more successful in this respect than the artist.
some of whose ogres and giants look quite
frightful enough to do the things which herein
are not recorded of them. that children can
look at the pictures read the stories according
to their dispositions and inclinations
Some OF the original fairy books published
this autumn are collections of short tales. and
some contain but single story. OF the former,
one Of the most attractive in its make up and
illustrations is 1.-The Plain Princess" already
alluded to. Its quarto size gives ample scope
for the effective line drawings of NJ. w. Taylor
and NJ d. Baxter. each picture in decorative
border. The stories are Of the old fashioned
model of which Mr.. Lang approves, but told
with deliciousfy quaint sense Of humor, that
at times quite inverts the old fashioned sentf-
ment. Thus, the heroine Of the little story was
the only Fairy Tale Princess who not raw
ishingly beautiful, and it counted such
distinction that everybody delighted, and
after various adventures in the Land of Reason
why, largely freQuented by people who ask
useless questions she married the Prince of
Overthere and lived happily after. While
all the stories of the same type, they
none of them of the creepy" sort, but rather
of the kind that Frank R. Stockton told so well.
One hardly would look to Max Nordau, the
philosopher, sociologist and psychologist for
fairy story, if a body suddenly wanted one, but
that only shows how deceptive first impressions
may be. Certainly Of all the books of fanciful
romance published this fall there are none more
freshly charming and original than his 1.-THE
Dwarfs Spectacles and Other Fairy Tales CThe
Macmillan Company. Told in the good old way
that we all like, the stories yet quite unlike
any that we have read, and while all of them
are of a nature to appeal on the surface to the
simplest minded child. there is hardly that
on social conditions that makes it equally enter
tanning to the grown-up who may be called
upon to read it aloud. If he isn't kept busy
at it. be sure he will read them to himself after
the children have gone to bed. 1.-The Master
1.-The Secret Empire" 1.-The Flower Prison." 1.-THE
Cats That Wouldn't Catch Mice" "The Dwarf's
Spectacles" and 1.-THE Little Girl Who Travelled
in the Big Ship" are little masterpieces of de-
Iightful cleverness. Surely the five kittens who
announced their determination to live in fra
ternal relations with the entire rodent family,
and having been elected honorary mice" with
loud acclaim, began to eat UP all their
found brothers food in return for sparing them
their lives, will live in literature. The stories
have been exceIlently translated by Mary j.
Stafford. but the illustrations by three different
hands, are of UNEQUAL merit, though plentiful
in number. Another book of agreeably magma
tive tales is 1.-The Golden Heart and Other Fairy
Stories" Doubleday. Page & Coz, by Violet
Jacob. who shows keenly sympathetic appre-
citation Of the childish taste in romance. The
illustrations are full page pen and Ink draw
ings by May Sandheim, and the cover, with its
brilliant illuminated panel. presents a festive
holiday appearance Not so elaborately got
I'D. but of equal charm of contents, is Abbie
FarwelI Browns THE Star Jewels and Other
Wonders" (Houghton, Mifflin' & Coz The open
ing story is a fanciful account Of the origin of
tbe starfish and all the stories quite original
and are not suggested by folklore or tradition.
Interspersed with the five stories are five short
poems and there are ten drawings by Ethel c.
Brown. DR. F. Strange Kolle. in his Fifty and
One Tales of Modern Fairyland" CThe Grafton
Press) breaks away from established tradition
AID gives his tales, as the title suggests, mod
ern setting The stories are short and intended
TO convey the best of morals, but the authors
imagination is more in evidence in his presenta
ton of alleged facts than in his flights OF sup
posed fancy The suggestion that boy could
mistake boomerang for a cane is as mfslead-
ing as that self taught grocer's boy could sell
a painting for $500.
A round half dozen of original fairy stories are
long enough to require each a full volume for It's
telling OF these the most humorously original
in idea is L. Frank Baum's Queen Xxi of TX
(Tbe Century Company which is already
familiar to many thousands of readers through
tho naees of ..St. Nicholas The author of THE
Wizard of OF" shows no falling off in his fund OF
ouaint conceits in this story of the boy king,
the magic wishing cloak and the beautiful queen
,,,bo could never see her reflection in the mirror
Tho i1lustrat TONS all Of them in color, by Frank
richardson. admirably reflect the spirit of the
o,ra+ive and the volume will doubtless prove
&C attractive to those who have read It serially
=; tho magazine as to those who meet 1t for the
FIRST time in its present form. Both pictures and
+axt of 'eThe Face in the Poor "a. c. McClurg
g. Coz are by J. Allen St John. Several of the