Evening star., 1928-12-02

sort of boy in that rude setting that he
was all around It sums to an engrosS-
ing adYenture-a thing close at hand,
clear and vivid, fascinating as picture
of the life that used to be lived right
in the place where, today, there is so
much of plenty and variety and bounty.
And always in the forefront of interest
is the big, kindly boy figure of young
Abe Lincoln, who came finally to be the
head of the Nation. dying for it, and
living forever by virtue of his simple
greatness as a man. A book so we'll
worth while that I'm hoping it will be
yours before the end of this year.
4 X
THE ATLANTIC TREASURY OF
CHILDHOOD STORIES Selected
and edited by Mary Hutchinson
Hodgkins. Illustrated by Beatrice
Stevens. Boston: The Atlantic
Monthly Press.
CHILDREN, like the rest of us. are
~ drawn by beauty. Nowadays, the
book makers and other wise elders are
using this fact to invite young folks into
the pleasant paths of reading. These,
the old folks, you see, have found out
! that love of reading is a priceless
treasure, rendering its poSsessors i'm
mune to sorrow, to loneliness, to calam-
! ity even. They have learned, besides,
| that this treasure must be pursued,
| that it does not fall into the outStretch-
| ed hand like ripe fruit Therefore, as
| the initial lure they offer beautiful books,
| to which is added, to be sure, inter-
esting reading matter Thus habit be-
! gins and grows, till finally the love of
reading is achieved.
| Here is a beautiful book. demonstrat-
/ ing the wise plan that is being fol-
| lowed. The outside is a charm of color
and picture theme. And so it contin-
ues throughout. The little sketches ac-
| tually move and speak. III do it my
SELF" said the little red hen-and
| there she Is as active as you please,
| lighting the fire, cooking the dinner,
making the beds, doing any number of
| things that the others-the mouse and
the cock-are too selfish or too lazy
to do. Every picture in this volume Is
speaking picture. And here are hun
dredS of stories for the little readers
folk tales, fairy stories, animals be-
having like the rest of US and telling
about their great deeds, also like the
| rest of us. Here are magicianS and
/ gnomes and ogres. Here are real folks,
besides-David and Goliath, Joan of
Arc, and many a one nearer by. A
very knowing editor and a quite in
spired artist rounded up this book for
the clear delight of little children who
are beginning to look upon books with
| interest.
BLACK SPARTA. BY Naomi Mitchi-
son, author of THE Conquered" etc.
New York: Harcourt, Brace & Co.
DOZENS, stories, chapters of history,
all sourced in the Greeks of one
period or another, come together here
in refreshing and informing book.
The first thing to say, it seems to ne,
Is that here is beautiful writing-wordS
chosen with more than mere discretion,
words chosen with a feeling for the
taste and sound and smell of them, for
their fitness to carry across to the
reader the very essence of the theme in
hand. And this theme is various
Sometimes it goes back into far past,
to some event founded upon history and
brought forward, bodily, into the pres
ent. Sometimes it is thing nearer by,
but, in either case it is viewed fairly
! and honestly. after which it is subjected
to the very special art of this writer for
its termination and for its flight out
toward readers. Sparta, Athens, the
borders of Asia or the islands of the
Mediterranean, contribute to the sub
stance of these tales, setting them IN a
beauty all their own. Now it is love
story that claims attention. Now it is
! contest of minds clashing sharp and
clean upon one another Maybe 1T is
an ode. maybe a song But whatever
form it may take it is satisfying part
) of the picture of great land and q
great period in the art Of the world.