The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-03
For the Very Young.

Tn art OF making good nursery rhymes
is by no mean 30 simple as those who turn
them out seem TO think Infant critics
are the severest of all and demand besides
rhythmical jingle some idea of their own
view Of life in the verses. This is we'll under
stood by Mrs. Laura T.. Richards In The
Piooolo" Dana Estes and Company, Bos-
toni. They are capital nonsense verses
meant for children and only occasionally
addressed TO their elders, who may find
them at times reminiscent OF other authors.
Children will not mind that, however.
The pictures by Josephine Bruce are I'M
pretentious and catch the right spirit.
After leading small children through
various regions of outdoor life Mr.. Robert
w. Chambers this year takes them into
-Mountain-L Land" (A~ppletons). There they
meet with surprising adventures and con-
verse with many queer creatures, particu-
larly butterflies. The author never rises
above youthful comprehension and imparts
his Information skilfully. Mr.. Stones pic-
lures are good and Mr.. Richardson's oolored
illustrations pretty.
An entertaining series Of pictures Of the
quaint animals tina may be made out of
vegetables and flowers and other things
by very simple means is offered in LADY
Hollyhock and Her Friends" by Margaret
Coulson Walker CThe Baker a Taylor Com
pany). The possibilities Of potatoes, pea
nuts, lemons, handkerchiefs, apples and
30 on, as well as the charms OF gingerbread
and cookies, are demonstrated, and the text
explains adequately the processes Of manu-
facture.
Once more is the international classc
tragedy sung in The Punch and Judy Book
(Duffield a Company. The poet this time
is Mrs. Helen Hay Whitney. whose verse
is melodious, but who unfortunately has
no respect for tradition. The murderous
exploits OF Mr.. Punch's club are omitted.
as well as the deserved punishment for his
misdeeds. Perhaps it is necessary to keep
the devil out OF the modern nursery. but
the Punch and Judy show without him
becomes very tame.
The verses in Candle Light, by Georgia
Roberts Durston CThe Ssalfeld Publishing
Company are simple and melodious, and
such as a child may easily understand.
Occasionally they are too didactic, and
sometimes too long-poems for small chill
dren more than three stanzas long are
generally tiresome, but nearly all will be
welcome in the nursery. The illustrations
by Kate Greenland are good and appro-
pirate.
Mr.. z. warde Blaisdel' 9 familiar carica-
lures Of beasts have been gathered into a
small oblong volume called Animal Serials"
Ct. Y. Crowell and Company. While the
pictures may attract the young, the stories
they tell and the letter press can only be
appreciated by their elders. That is true,
also, Of the clever drawings. It is the sort
Of book a selfish father will want to give to
his boy.
The adventures OF -The Roosevelt Bears"
have been told at great length by Mr.. Sey-
mour Eaton Edward Stern and Company.
PHILADELPHIA. The verseis smooth n single
adventures are amusing; they lose much,
however, by being collected together. The
drawing OF the pictures ID good, but they
are deficient in real humor.
Even small children, we should fancy, must
crave more solid intellectual food than the
extremely mild tale by Gertrude Smith,
called The Beautiful Story Of Doris and
julie Harpers). It is harmless, never
theless, and written in short and simple
words.
The modern child may be familiar with
slang and the neither side OF life as Mr..
James Ball Naylor appears to assume in
witch Crow and Barney Bylow" CThe
Saalield Publishing Company. The Ian
guage he employs and the adventures
he describes, though they may be realistic.
are such as old fashioned people prefer
20 keep children in ignorance Of. Mr..
Naylor seems to toy around the edge OF
profanity In some Of his explosives.