Evening star., 1947-11-16
By PHILIP H. LOVE
Editor Of The Junior Star.

children's book week-the 28th-
begins today. Many schools, libraries
and civic organizations have planned
special programs around the slogan
suggested by the Children's Book
Council, Books for the World OF
Tomorrow"
The most noteworthy development
in the field of children's books In
recent years has been the improve
ment in the quality OF their THUS
trations. When I was a boy. COM
few juvenile publications
were illustrated and those few were
for the most part, distinguished only
by the mediocrity Of their art work.
Now, however, most children's books
are frightened by drawings or paint
ings and an increasing number OF
publishers are engaging the serv-
ices of outstanding artists.
For the Milne Fans.
An example of the trend toward
more and better art work is a series
of inexpensive reprints of some OF
the works of A. A. Milne, brought
out recently by Dutton. There are
Introducing Winnie the Pooh,
"The Kings Breakfast" "Sneezles'
and Christopher Robins Old Sailor
all delightful, as every Milne fan
knows and made even more 30 by
the high quality drawings of E. H
Shepard.
Then there is the Britannica
Junior, which has been expanded
from II to Is volumes and improved
in many ways. Certainly not the
least striking Of the improvements
is in the illustrations, which COM
pare favorably with those Of the
Encyclopaedia Britannica itself
(See Junior Star page.)
"The Quaint and Curious Quest OF
Johnny Longfoot, the Shoe Kings
Son" (Bobbs -MerrilD, which Cath.
crime Besterman has adapted from a
favorite folk tale Of her native Po-
land, should delight children and
charm their parents. And the Illus
trations, by Warren Chappell. ado
considerably to the generally pleas
ing effect. 49,
With Religious Slant.
Another good book which is en-
HANGED by the excellence of its illus
trations is Their Search for God
Ways of Worship in the Orient" by
Florence Mary Fitch Gothrop, Lee
g. Shepard. The illustrations are
mostly photographs selected with
intelligence and perception by Edith
Bozyan, Beatrice Creighton and the
author
Pencil sketches by Margaret S
Johnson are a worthwhile contribu.
ton to Miss Kelly" story of g
young and beautiful tiger cat by
Elizabeth Sanxay Holding GMorrow)
And pen -and-ink drawings by Chris
tine Price do as much for Robert
Schumann and Mascot Ziff," the
latest of Opal Wheeler's biographies
of famous composers Dutton).
In an article of this length, 1t Is
of course, impossible even to begir
to cover all the good books for boys
and girls that have come from the
presses during the last year. How.
ever, here are a few Of the more
recent publications which have i'm.
pressed me as being worthwhile. anc
which, incidentally, are enhanced
by illustrations of exceptional merit
Mrs. Twigg's Mistake" an anus.
ing story of mole which ate pure
vitamin x, instead Of Bita-Vits
Breakfast Food, written and illus.
trated by Robert Lawson dittle
Brown.
Picture Book Of Molecules ant
Atoms" tn which Jerome s. Meyer
with the aid Of Artist Richare
Floethe, provides parents with sim
pie answers to such troublesome
questions as, what Is atomic en-
ergy?" Gothrop, Lee & Shepard
Child's Encyclopedia.
"Tell Me-" an encyclopedia sort o.
volume for children from 5 to 10
written by Ellen Wales Walpole anc
illustrated by Douglas Anderson
blinds, Hayden & Eldredge).
~. S. Means U.s." simple book
for small children on the working:
of the United States Government
written by Nina Turner, with draw
ings by Lloyd Coe.
A new series Of Little Colder
Books (Simon 81 SchusteD, "Ani.
NAL Babies" by Kathryn and Byron
jackson, with illustrations by Adele
Werber; Singing Games" selected
and arranged by Katharine Tyler
Vessels and illustrated by Corinne
Malvern, and Uncle Remus" ano
Peter and the Wolfe" both BY
artists Of the Walt Disney Studio
Bird Dog Bargain" story OF 9
14-year-old boy and his gunshy
puppy, by Kenneth Gilbert, with
Illustrations by Ernest Norline
(Holt).
Behind the Ranges" about a boy
who goes camping with his father
In the olympic Mountains, BY Ste
pken w. Meader, illustrated by Ed.