The British Boys' Annual. (Cassell and Co. 5s.)-The chief element
in this volume is, as might be expected, fiction of the kind which boys like,-stories of battle and adventures by sea and land. There are other things also. Mr. Keble Chatterton writes on his subject, "The Steamship " ; Mr. F. S. Hartnell on "The Future of Railways" and on "Aeroplanes "; boys who have nimble hands may learn something about conjuring from Mr. M. St. Henry.-The British Girls' Annual (same publishers, 5s.) is also strong in fiction ; this is chiefly of the domestic kind. We have the domestic element in its other departments. The girl, for instance, learns how to make sweetmeats and how to look after pets.- Cassell's Annual for Boys and Girls (same publishers, 3s. 6d.) is meant for younger readers. If there is a battle, it is of toy ships in a bath. There is much that is amusing about men and animals and things in general.-Another suitable volume for these readers is Blackie's Children's Annual (Blackie and Son, 3s. 6d.) -Bo-Peep (Cassell and Co., 2s. 6d.), is a "Picture-book Annual for Little Folk," and a well-established favourite.-The young people are, indeed, amply provided for. We have, for instance, "Routledge's Struwwelpeter Series" (G. Routledge and Sons, 1s. per vol.) First comes the immortal Strumwelpeter himself, followed by Edward Lear's Book of Nonsense, Hans Andersen's Snow Queen, Aesop's Fables, Alice in Wonderland (in words of one syllable), and A Book of Surprises, in which Mr. Louis Wain depicts the adventures of two cats and others. Thero are eleven in all, very good value for the mmey.-Happy Hearts, Edited by Harry Golding (Ward, Lock, and Co., 3s.), is especially noticeable for the excellence of its coloured plates. The frontispiece, with the children clustered on a night- flying elephant, is admirable.-Rough and Tumble, by Cecil Aldin (H. Frowde and Hodder and Stoughton, 6s. net), is a book of vigorous comic sketches by the same artist ; and from the same publishers we have Field Babies (3s. 6d.), dogs, young rabbits, ducklings, &c.-We must be content with mentioning The Story of Flip and Fussy, by Augustine Macgregor (Blackie and Son, is. 6d.) ; and from the same publishers, The History of Sam the Sportsman, Pictured by Frank Adams (2s.) ; How They Cams Home from School, by S. Rosamond Praeger (2s. Od.); Play-Hour Picture Stories for Little Folk (1s. 6d.).-The Complete Story of Mother Hubbard. By Ladbroke Black. Illus- trated by Dudley Tennant. (Duckworth and Co. 3s. 6d. net. )- A Child's ithyme Book. By Patricia Wentworth. (Andrew Melrose. 2s.)-The verses, which are set to music, are above the average, and are illustrated by drawings with real humour and grace.
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