G I F BOOKS.

MORE CHILDREN'S BOOKS.*

THE title-page of Arthur Mee's (ftft-Book I. tells us that this is for "Boys and Girls who Love the Flag," and that "every purchase of this book is a contribution to the Red Cross." Mr. Mee says "that the interest of this book is chiefly due to the contributors to the Children's Encyclopaedia and My Magazine." It is a good medley of serious articles, Nature studies, stories, ballads, and plenty of coloured and black-and-white pictures. Indeed, it is difficult to say what it does note,ontain, from the picture of the three little Belgians in their heroic flag dresses to diagrams of engines, or from "Fifteen Things to Go to Bed with" to extract, from Ruskin end Tennyson, not to mention exciting stories and a few fairytales.

The Prim * is a good annual. It has an interesting serial story of everyday life, telling us of two boys and a girl living in en English country town. A gypsy famili and a wicked lion-tamer add an agreeable spice of excitement. There is also a set of stories called "Road Folk," adapted from various authors, from Chaucer to George Borrow, giving a picture of wayfaring life in the last six hundred years. A florins of papers on botany and plenty of lively little stories, and many pictures in black-and-white and colour, make up an excellent volume.

Chatterbox Newe6ox2 contains no stories. Its chief serial articles are on "British Industry," in which aro included such subjects as " Our Geographical Position," "Why Certain Industries have been Established in Certain Localities," and so on. "Quaint Plants I Know," " Digging out History," and the stories of romantic historical incidents, together with an apparently endless supply of curious facts of all sorts, briefly told, form a book which will help to solve some of the many questions to which children expect interesting answers from more or less well-instructed parents. The volume is less lavishly illustrated than are some other annuals.

The master—or we should perhaps say mistress—builder of The Little White Town of Never Weary introduoea her readers to the delightful craft of making real homes for dreams and fancies, and so fixing the story of an hour's entertainment into a tangible and charming toy. First she tells us how King Cardboard appeared to Miriam in a "Waking Dream," attended by his elves, Pencilkin, Seiseorkin, Knifekin, and several others, and how the White Lady explained the whole bueiness so clearly, including the puzzling ways of the Scale Elf, that it wIte at once possible to set about making the "Lazy Men's House." From this simple beginning Miss King takes us on to more elaborate domestic andtownarchitecture, giving such careful directions for carrying out the work that it seems as if failure would be impossible. She also tells amusing little stories about the people of this fascinating town. The book is illustrated by excellent photographs of the houses that Miss King has made and by working drawings and elevations. It is certainly one of the most original and engaging books for children that we have seen, and deserves to be very popular.

The Story of the Stubby Dub 5 tells the adventures of Meg and her friends, Annabelle the doll, a mouse, a rabbit; and various other people, in lively yen*. They dash about, snowballing and playing all sorts of pranks, and end up by eating an excellent nursery breakfast. The pictures are pretty and amusing, and the colours sae clear and good.

There are some delightful pictures and verses in The Mast in the Moon., Here is a verse from the "Dream Shell"

"So lie, my sweet with the shell

Pressed close to your listening me:

You shall learn brave songs to tell To a world that feints to hear, Of land and strand and shore By the Slumber Sea so deep, Till men shall fear no more To say 'Farewell,' and sleep. Then, hush-a-bye, sweet, to the *Pell

And song of the Dream Shell-

Hush.a.bye, hush-a-bye, hush-a-bye."

The story of the restless weathercock will please the children more than this lullaby, and they will enjoy the cleverly drawn pictures with their bright and charming colour and their clear outlines.

• (1) Arthur Mods Gift-Boob. London : Hodder and atooghton. [6s. net.)-- (2) The Prize. London: Wells Gardner, Barton, and Co. [Is 24., or 2s. ed. natI—(5)- 0114Seeion Newby,. Sams publishers. l's. or la ad. net)--(4) The Mild While Town of Never Weary. By Jessie H. Etna, Photographs tY J• BlIme Cameron, of Messrs. T. and It. Annan. London: 0. CI. Harrap and Co. lra.ekt esti —(5) The Story of the Stubby Dub. By Rab. London W. Westall and Co. las. ad. net.]—(6) Tim Arms y tly Noon. Written and Drawn by Bloreaso Hamlson. London: Slagle and Bee. MI ad. set.)—(7) TAs yfoon Baby. By noway E. C. Nash. Illustrations by Dorothy E. C. Nosh and B. H. Ruda, London Jnrrolda Pa ad. oet.1—(0) _Oar LAI, Doe.; 504Locion : Hisekto sod Soc. 125. Bd. net.1—(9) Leading strings London : wells °miner, Dalton. so, ea Ds. 181. er 2s. 04 sad In The Moon Baby° the efforts of children to struggle with but vaguely apprehended evils and dangers, and their very definite desire for their own way, are told in a form that sometimes reminds us of an allegory and sometimes of a fable. The Moon Baby, a nimble elf, take.; his little earth child friend over hill and dale, into the air and under theses, and their adventures make an amusing story, so pleasantly told that nobody will find the excellent and obvious moral at all wearisome. The illustrations, which are loosely set on dark-green pages, are brightly, but not garishly, coloured.

Our Little One's Beet Book° is for a beginner in the arts of reading, writing, and eounting. Most we have amusing alphabets. and then go on by easy stages to interesting little stories and pretty versos. Some very simple tunes are also included, besides a number of old nursery rhymes. The "Tell me a Story" pictures lend themselves to all sorts of variations and additions in the telling, and will be a source of amusement as well as instruction. Indeed, the whole volume is really a nursery picture-book morn than a lesson-book. The type is clear and good, and there is a plentiful supply of blaok-and-white and coloured illustrations.

Leading Strings., is a good nursery book made up of a variety of little stories, verses, and pioturee, including a picture alphabet.