Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-26
REWEW[ QE IHE NEW BOON[


hos Story" All unite IN OIferlng the picked
company Of finely substantial literature
In an introduction to this volume John
Cournos says many new and striking things
about the short story in this country. The
most outstanding among these Is that the
American short story derives Immediately from
the spirit and purpose and content OF the
American newspaper in its country wide dis
tribution. And that both of these story and
news-sheet, are rooted in the democratic char
acter of the people and their government.
Sounds believable doesn't it? From this COM
mon root-stock come the local tales that make
so much Of the proper substance of the native
fiction. Here too. is sOurced the special char
acter of the adventure stories. Here, too, as
well, no doubt, the swift drive of these inven-
tons, the speedy round-ups-the temperament
of the people expressing itself in suitable story.
Too much cannot be said for the big design
and purpose underlying 1.-The little library"
Nothing less, this, than to make available to
all the very best that has, far been pro-
duced by the enduring genius Of writer's.
Everyman's Library is one of these inspired
agencies Of such wide well-doing. A clear
idealist-a new Don Quixote-presses this pro-
gram of good reading for every last one of Is.
Not bad program is it! fine job
calf\H
KEGS. Book by Marian King Illustrations
by Elizabeth Enright. New York: Harper
Sc Bros.
k4
the sea to play with you, bringing along
with him his best friend, too. No, not dog
A duck, instead. Can you bent that? Hardly,
as you will agree when you know KEGS, the
little Dutch boy from Holland. better, and
Kleintje, the tiny Dutch duck from the same
place
Here IS the story of these two. Adventures
of swimming, fishing, skating on the canal
roads for which their country is so famous
Later. ice boat races. Once, town carnival
for pets, with prizes to top it off, And when
it came to sports Kleintje was much a winner
as KEGS himself. Not all play. though. There
is going to market for these two and visiting
with the neighbors and just waddling around
doing not much Of anything. TIE story comes
to an end with q visit from st. Nicholas him
self On that special day when this saint and
all the children Of the world get together for
a real holiday.
OF course Kleintje, the Duck could tain
just as your dog can and does whenever you
and he are out on business of your ewn.
Kleintje has but couple Of words In his
pack-only one, as matter of fact. This one
says itself twice, always, and you've no notion
OF how much can be told in this world with
single word. OF course, you have not. "Quack,
quackl" Is right on hand for every need that
KEGS may have-adVice, warning, just gossip.
ing along wherever the two may be- lovable
creature, this duck. So the judges thought,
too, at the pet carnival as they looped the blue
ribbon round the shining neck Of Kleintje
A very charming book. A sensible book as
well as Q beautiful one. The author-a gifted
young woman Of Washington-has had the art
to let the two heroes do the work in their own
way. AS result, here Is clear picture Of
the common ways Of Holland Better yet, here
is genuinely wise standing by to make q record
OF the dOings Of KEGS and Kleintje. Never
once does the author push in to explain and
spoil things Even grown up, you reading feel
the little glow of something beautiful-and all
most foFgOtten-by way of the fellowship Of
KEGS and Klemtje. Admirable, you will agree.
Story and pictures of q single piece of excep-
tional work for the use of children-and us
COG AND MAGOG. BY Vincent Sheean,
author Of IAN American Among the Riff"
etc. New York: Harcourt. Brace & Co.
IN London GuilGihall are two gigantic wooden
figures, legendary and mysterious in origin.
Cog and MagOg, these. The wise man standing
by will tell that these likely of remote
ArmOrican source, that they form the basis Of
a lengthy discussion by Godfrey of Monmouth.
Enough Of that. The point of immediate In
terest is that Vincent Sheean has used these
wooden giants rs symbols In his new novel
Cog and MagOg-EuSsia and the United States
Hardly a novel at all Rather. under the thin
garment Of romance, an aStute and compre.
hensive study Of Russia at the present time
And less directly, . pointing upon certain
significant hkenesSes between that country and
our own. Both vast regions, dramatically similar.
Both huge political entities whose very bulk Is
a menace to the integrity of the whole. Inn
mense regions that provide in all likelihood the
dominant economic and political elements Of
the future However near in that future they
may approach each other, they will ever be
held apart by the far effect of separate origin
the East and the West This book is a most
interesting q most informed and intelligent
study Of Russia today. To be sure, it gets on its
way in the eolOrs Of romance. A young Amer
lean pursues o great Russian singer into her
native country Madly In love with her-yet
not so madly after all He tires of her hut he