GIFT - BOOKS.
SOME BOOKS FOR LITTLE CHILDREN.t Nursery Rhymes of London Town' is a fascinating little book of verses. They have the authentio rhythm and- swing of " the old ago," and are worthy of a place among nursery classics. The play on familiar London place-names is cleverly carried out, and will delight the reader no matter whether he is old or young. " King's Cross " and " Bishops-
gate " are given unexpected interpretations, and wo can almost hear the shout of exultation that will follow tho hush of expectancy when " Take it or leave it, but I can't wait— Jump, mare, jump over Billing's Gate!"
is recited to the proper accompaniment of a ride on father's or mother's
• The Old Blood. By Frederick Palmer. London : 3obn Murray. (ea.] Nursery Rhymes of London Town. By Eleanor Falcon. Illustrated by Macdonald Gill. London: Duckworth and Co. [28. Od. net I--(2) Taks in Rhyme and Colour. By Florence Harrison. London : Blackle and Son. (2s. dd. net.] —(3) Josephine's Happy Family. Belated by Mrs. II. C. Cradock. Pictured by Honor Appleton. Same publishers. (28. ed. net.)---(4) The Toy Shop Book. By Ada van Stone Harris and Lilian Maclean Waldo. London : Bickers and Son. (as. net.)—(5) Our Allies Story-Book. London : Mackie and ten, (Is. Od.1--(0) The Precious Gift : Bible Stories for Children. By Theodora Wilmer
Wilton. Illustrated by Arthur A. Dixon. Same publishers. ed. net.) .. knee. The colour of the frontispiece is a little harsh, but the black-and white illustrations in the text are charming.
Tales in Rhyme and Colours are interesting and told with imagina- tive detail. The first tells of the adventures of little " Fingers and Thumbs " who stole the farmer's plums, and though it ends tragically, this point is not insisted upon, and will perhaps be missed by little readers. The illustrations are very good, and only in a few instances have they been spoilt by the vagaries of the three-colour process. The people are drawn with expressive faces, which are worth looking at, and which also help in unfolding the story. The book is large and important looking.
Josephine's Happy Famile is a capital sequel to Josephine and her Dolts. It is one of the nursery-books that will bear reading over and over again, for the heroine is a charming little person. She manages her large and sometimes unruly family with tact and good sense, and tells the story with the naivete of a real child. "Grown-up" turns of thought and expression are amusingly reproduced, exactly in the way we have often heard nursery children unconsciously copy the talk of nurse and nursery -maid. The book is prettily illustrated in colour and black-and white.
The Toy Shop Book* is an arrrusing and practical little volume After the rhymes and pictures have been quietly enjoyed, they can be used as aids in organizing lively games, or as scenes for acting. All imaginable toys pass before us in these pages in delightful succession, and we have besides extracts from the Child's Garden of Verses and some of the old nursery rhyme;. The book would also be very useful to a, teacher, for reading or memory lessons. It is full of pretty little coloured pictures of children and toys.
Our Allies Story-Boole tells of the daily life of children in the Allied countries, with the exception of Portugal and Rumania. The stories are amusing and interesting and have plenty of "local colour." There are numbers of full-page and other illustrations.
In The Precious Gift awe have a series of Bible stories, from " In the Garden " to " Paul's Voyage to Rome," told in paraphrase interwoven with quotations. The effect of the juxtaposition of Bible language with Miss Theodora Wilson Wilson's colloquial English is often very odd, but on the whole the work is fairly well done. The paper wrapper of this book leads one to hope that it is illustrated by repro- ductions of the old masters, but on turning the pages we find pictures by Mr. A. A. Dixon.—Bible Stories for Children (same author, illus- trator, and publishers, 2s. 6d.) contains a selection of the contents of the preceding volume.
Tales and Talks for Little Ones (2s.) and Chuckles (2a. 6d.), both published by Messrs. Blackie and Son, are good specimens of nursery picture-books, though we could wish for less brilliant colour in some of the filustrations. The latter is about animals, and tells of their merry pranks.—Books for Mervyn, by Mummy. These are six slim little paper volumes published by Mr. Arthur L. Humphreys at 6d. each. , They are a striking contrast to the highly coloured books that we are accustomed to associate with Christmas stockings. The text is in a bold running hand, and might be useful as a help towards attaining to the art of letter-reading, though it is not a model of calligraphy. The little stories are cleverly written, but we cannot help thinking that many of the reflections will appeal more strongly to " Mummy" than; they will to " Mervyn,"—Submarinea and Aeroplanes, published by 'Menne. Blackie and Son at Is., is a large flat picture-book, full of bright colours and distinct outlines.
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