Evening star., 1929-01-01
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
I. G.. NJ.

Don't miss Don" Mere folks can
hardly afford to miss any dog much less
this one. Here is Zane Greys story OF
hunting mountain lion and the part
played in the adventure by Don. Tense
and exciting throughout The real
story, however, is that of the slow
growth of friendship between the two
the man pursuing, the dog aloof in cool
appraisal. A lonely creature, lost from
something. So his eyes were always
searching far horizons, his nostrilS lifted
and twitching at the catch of long
sought fugitive trails. A moment of
peril to the man, however brought the
growing friendship of Don into light
ming ferocity of defense and rescue. And
so they became friends. Maybe you
would better stop reading at this point.
A gift book exactly fitted to the occa-
sional Sagging moment when one stops
to wonder about the quality of friend
ship, about the quality of himself as a
friend.
THE TREASURE CAVE. Edited by
Lady Cynthia Asquith. New York:
Charles Scribner's Sons.
Out of the Gave" they come-some
singing, some chanting in a blend of
song and story and some talking them
selves out in just plain words Fine
folks, every one, who more than once
have delighted their listeners all over
the world. Names don't mean so much
but here they are, the names of few
OF those whom Lady Cynthia Asqllith
has invited to bring the treasure" of
old stories and songs into the holiday
time of this year. Hilaire Belloc calls
back the old and famous Battle of
PoltlerS." Sabatini. in his own gor-
geous way, tells of THE Luck of Capou-
lade." You will love Arthur Machen's
Johnny Double" Quite specially in
teresting at the moment is 1.-The Crook
ed Christmas Tree" by the daughter of
Eden Phillpotts. There are many other
tales here, many others, all chosen with
good care, as they should be, to sup
port the precious promise of the title of
the book The pictures are as good as
the songs and stories are Here is
holiday book that quite lives up to the
promise of its title. And that is real
something to do.
| \: X X X
SPARROW HOUSE N. j. Givago-
Grishina. New York: Frederick A..
Stokes Co.
You will believe it after having read
Sparrow House." however plain your
doubts beforehand may be- You will
believe in fairies, the helpful kind, and
in animals that talk sociably on every
sort of interesting topic. And you will
believe, actually believe, in all-around
| friendly people besides These live in
and around Sparrow House. Three peo-
pie live inside the house-two men and
a Cog. And just at one of its corners
is the tree in which the sparrows have
made their home and roundabout which
they carry on the sparrow business of
being alive and making living. And
there Is the fairy-just the best kind ever.
All you have to do is to put your hand
in her pocket and take out ANYTHING
that you want. You can see at the start
that this is a busy story. 1t is. From
the first word and the first picture there
is such beautiful to-do that leaving it,
even for dinner or lunch, is quite out
of the question. I love this book. You
will, too.
NUMBER SIX JOY STREET. A
| Medley of Prose and Verse for Boys
and Girls. New York: D. Appleton
! & Co.
If last year along about this time, or
the year before, even, you chanced to
find yourself in Joy Street-why, there
is nothing more to say, except that
here is another opportunity to repeat
the good adventure. And while in the
street this time be sure to look up Lord
DunSany. He has a song to sing for
you. At this very moment, too, Comp
ton Mackenzie, sitting in the sunroom
of Number Six, is telling of two chairs
that went off on the Strangest adventure
imaginable. Think of it! Everything
seems to be going on today in Joy
Street-interesting folks all over the
house, each busy with some exciting
business, story, song, pictures Hustle
around and get as much of 1t as you
can, for it Is all tremendously enjoy
able. Aren't the pictures the gayest,
most talkative ones that you ever eX-
pect to see? Surely they are.
MAGIC JOURNEYS. Mary Graham
| Bonner Illustrated by Luxor Price.
New York: The Macauley Co.
A glorif1ed geography. Now if lessons
could be like the ones in this book the
children would cry to go to school, Not
lessons at all. Magic journeys instead,
as the title of the book promised. Maps
that talk and wink and glow, inviting
ly. rush the reader from place to place.
Places behave as places should
opcdhAlS WoIuS VI WeACOiIAc W IIieA
visitors, London actually singing a
friendly song. The wind acts as pilot
and guide. Now could anything be
more interesting than to have such di-
rection and urge! The countries swing
| into a pageant--a great and glorious
procession of place and people and year
upon year of events that are brilliant
beyond the telling. If any proof of til
quality of this magic book were needed
it lies in the fact that it was made
specially for children by the mother of
family of youngsters who knew what
they wanted as soon as it was provided
for them. Besides. this lady has writ
ten books and books for small readers
so she clearly knows how to do t.
WILLY POGANY'S MOTHER GOOSE
New York: Thomas Nelson & Sons.
Artists, genuine artists, are now
adays giving the best of their work to
books for children. Not in perfect
SelfleSSneSS, not for the good of the
child" exclusively--a churliSh thought
to write out in words, isn't it? How
ever, the children get the benefit. and
so do the rest of us. AS a matter of
fact no other theme so inspires the
poet-artist as does the rhyme made for
children. Here Is adventure without
any of the strings of consistency to tie
1t to the dull ground. Here the artist
can let himself go. He has let himself
go. More and more each year does he
court freedom by way of books for chill
dren. And year by year these books
grow in the beauty of fine artistry.
willy Pogany's Mother Goose" is a
charming case in point. This ambi-
tious artist, not content with the gay
and beautiful pictures of which he is
so clearly master, here tries his hand
at being Mother Goose herself, as
many a writer since the day of the real
Mother Goose has done by adding to
the original $50 rhymes made by this
beloved friend of the babies. 1t is all
right. At any rate it has been going
on ever since the established popularity