With the publication of Ferdinand's Adventure (Routledge), we are glad
to welcome back Lord Brabonme to his old seat on the back of the nursery hobby-horse. He should never have left it for party politics, the Channel Tunnel, and a peerage that blisters. It is possible, indeed, that this collection of stories in the old style of Mr. Knatchbull- Hugessen may be really a number of political satires well disguised ; the last one, in particular, "The Bird War," has a look of something of the sort. But taking the volume as bona fide, we have nothing but hearty praise for Ferdinand's experiences among various lower ani- mals, whose slave he is for a time compelled to be. Others of the collection, such as "Dora and Claude" and "The Lost. Children," are equally clever and humorous, and perhaps pleasanter.—Messrs. Rontledge also send us Songland, a series of ditties for children, selected, arranged, and composed by William M. Hutchison—an admir- able collection, very humorously illustrated; Little Lays for Little Folk, selected by john G. Watts—the illustrations, of a graver sort than those in Songland—are also specially worthy of notice ; and Sunny Days and Snowdrop, two capital little picture-books for children.
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