The Missing Prince. By G. E. Farrow. Illustrated by Harry
Furniss and Dorothy Furniss. (Hutchinson and Co.)—There are some capital songs in The Missing Prince, and now and then some capital ideas, but we do not think the book is nearly as good as The Wallypug of Why." The fun is more forced and is not so rich, and incident is rather sparse. Some of the songs are poor too,—" Aiphabetism " would not raise a smile even from Mr. Peter Magnus's friends. The Public Rhymester's efforts are good, and his advertisement song, in whieh he hires himself out, is a clever little hit. The best part of the book is the last, where, owing to the disappearance of the Prince, the inhabitants of Zum proceed to the election of a King. The Lord High Adjudicator announces that, as everybody has voted for himself, they are all elected Kings. The general muddle that results is rather amusing, the Public Rhymester and the Advertiser-General distinguishing themselves considerably during the interregnum. The drawings constitute, perhaps, more than half the attraction of the book, and are certainly inimitable. As it is, all readers will be able to extract a great deal of amusement out of the book, and to children it will furnish a feast of laughter and afford them endless amusement on many a dull winter's day. To the ordinary girl or boy of about ten, let us say, a more acceptable present than The Missing Prince can hardly be imagined.
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