Jacob and the Raven. By F. M. Peard. (George Allen.)—Of
the four charming fairy-tales that compose Miss Peard's book, we are uncertain to which to award the palm. Youthful lovers of the pathetic will like "The Blue-Haired Ogre ; " those who see faces and hear voices in Nature will be delighted with "In a Garden ; " and "Jacob and the Raven" will fascinate those who thirst for adventure. Miss Peard seems to us to have the true gift of the fairy-tale teller, and indeed the easy style, the feeling for natural beauty, and love of creatures, remind us of the beautiful stories of German origin. Children ought to like these stories ; they cannot but be delighted with the charming elves and other queer creatures that belong to fairy lore, and the no less lovable human beings who figure as heroes and heroines. The woodcuts of Mr. Heywood Sumner are appropriately simple and vigorous, the smaller ones being distinctly the best, and add to the attractiveness of the book.
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