Evening star., 1935-10-30
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
Margaret Cermond.

As the date named for the annual OBJ
servance of Children's Book Week draws
near, it brings with it the dawn OF
realization that the holiday season is
now only seven short weeks away from
actuality. The time is indeed at hand
to think of books for the little ones,
whose minds are ever athirst for new
stories. for thrilling adventures into
make-believe lands. for better acquaint-
ance with true tales Of heroism and ro-
nance or for a broader highway into
the realm of wholesome independent
reading. And there Is no dearth Of new
volumes this Fall from which to make
selections for the Juveniles corner of
the family library. Many old friends
move forward to new experiences and
adventures, and many delightful new
humans, fairies and creatures are ready
to become friends and companions Of
happy young owners.
+
From the house of Harrison Smith
and Robert Haas, New York. comes
"Babar the King" continuation of the
now famous elephant stories that have
won the hearts of children every
where. 1t is a book of large pages,
some of them covered with bril-
liantly colored pictures of elephants
engaged in all sorts of occupations.
with other pages carrying marginal and
half-page color prints descriptive of the
accompanying text. There elephants
at work and at play. in school and on
tour. Transforming the wilderness into
colony where splendor, happiness and
contentment reign supreme, building
their own amusement hall and enjoying
the entertainments within it. attending
the opera attired in fine raiment, feath-
ers and diamond tiaraS, and having
good time at gay parties. 1t is book
destined to furnish a never-ending source
OF entertainment. The text has been
translated from the French of Jean de
Brunhoff by Merle Haas.
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Another book for the very young Is
little volume entitled THE Golden Chick
and the Magic Frying Pam" by Jeanne
Chardon. 1t is collection Of nine
charming old French folk tales which
have been known and loved in France
for generations. 1t has been translated
with all of the fancifulness of the orig
inal tales by Ruth Peckham Tubby and
illustrated and decorated by Emma
Brock. From the same publishing COM
pany. Albert Whitman & Co., of Chicago.
there is another collection of fanciful
folk lore tales from widely separated
sources. These are called The Crystal
Locket," and each Of them centers about
the decorative heirloom that is still In
existence, and is reputed to have had
a very interesting life. The stories are
by Nellie M. Rowe, and are illustrated
and decorated by Elizabeth Enright.
Over the Castle Walls" by Caroline
Mabry, is also from the Whitman house,
and 1t tells an authentic and entertain
ing story about the castles of England
as discovered by Peter and Doris on a
sightseeing tour Of England. This is a
companion book to Castles in Spain"
by the same author, and is attractively
illustrated by Eleanor Mussey Young.
An outstanding volume in the output
OF books Of knowledge about the creature
things that have inhabited and do in
habit the earth is the Parade Of the
Animal Kingdom" by DR.. Robert Heg-
ner. a publication of the Macmillan Co.
u New York. The work is natural history
OF animal. bird, fish and insect life, with
nearly eight hundred illustrations of the
subjects covered in the text, selected
from the best available photogra phic
material. It is not a publication for
Juveniles, but an encyclopedia of knowl-
edge for all who wish to know some
thing about the modes Of life and the
activities OF the animals and the crea-
lures Of nature that they see about
them and those Of other lands. It
answers all the questions that little tots
as well as grown-ups can ask. however
about the great and the small life that
exists outside the kingdom of human
beings. DR.. Hegner is professor of pro-
tozoology in the Johns Hopkins Uni
versity and has spent forty years as a
student and teacher of the science of
animals. He was assisted in the pro-
duction OF this volume by Jane z. Hegner.
For its conception of the idea Of adapt-
ing for young readers the immortal
musical comedy productions of Gilbert
and Sullivan. the L. c. Page Co. of
Boston should be heartily congratu-
lated. H. M. s. Pinafore" or THE
Lass That Loved a Sailor" is the first to
be so treated and the result is eminentlv
successful. Here in all of their original
atmosphere of song and mirth are the
beloved characters so long enjoyed by
theater-goers, presented in a form to
delight and entertain the boys and girls
not yet old enough to grasp the full
libretto. The volume is of handy size.
attractively bound, and illustrated by
GrisWold Tying. Later editions of the
series, which will be uniform will include
"Mikado," Pirates Of Penzance," Pa
tience," ''The Gondoliers," "Iolanthe,"
THE Yeomen of the Guard" and "Rud-
digore."
The author of the Little Indian Books"
David Cory, now offers his young readers
an altogether pleasing story which he
calls "Cowbells and Clover" down-on-
the-farm story in which Jimmy and Jane,
who live in the city. find full measure
Of adventure and happiness on Uncle
David'S farm. First of all, Uncle David
himself is far more entertaining than
any story book could be, and his rich
store of tales and information about the
things that grow and thrive on and in
the earth is constantly being called into
use to satisfy the pleadings of his inquisi.
tive little visitors for more. The
book is profusely illustrated with photo
graphs, collected by Mr. Cory over a
period Of years, that include every
thing from kittens, bunnies, dogs and
fowl to horses and cows. The book has a
decorative binding and is published in
New York by GrosSet & Dunlap.