True Stories from History Retold for Little Folk. By Edith
Roberts. (Mackie and Son. le.)---Among these stories precedence is given to "Black Agnes of Dunbar," a heroine of the days of Edward III. After her come various heroes and heroines, Menelaus, we see, among them, for Troy takes its place among "true stories." Heroes of peace, too, there are,—Benjamin Franklin, for instance, and Sir Isaac Newton, and Handel. The illustrations are spirited ; but are not Hannibal's soldiers some- what lightly clad for a passage of the Alps P—Next to this we would put A Boy's Book of Battleships (same publishers, 23.) We begin with the trireme, or, rather, with the ships that took Agamemnon's army to Troy, and end with the torpedo. Dr. Gordon Stables supplies an historical description, and Mr. Charles Robinson furnishes the illustrations.—Stories from Grimm (same publishers, 2s. 6d.) gives us a number of chosen examples from an inexhaustible store. The pictures are by Miss Helen Stratton.— One of the old favourites, in a somewhat abbreviated form, is The Swiss Family Robinson (same pub-
lishers, is.) The shortening and selection have been done by Miss Edith Robaxts, while the pictures are from the skilful
pencil of Mr. John Hassall.—Another old favourite returns in Struwwelpeter, by Dr. Heinrich Hoffmann (G. Routledge and Sons, is.) We are glad to see both pictures and verses again.---The Story of Snips, by Angusine Macgregor (Blackie and Son, 241.), tells the history of "a very naughty mouse who learns by various experiences to become a very good one"; the pictures are full of humour.—We may say the same of Mr. Frank Adams's illustra- tions in Simple Simon (same publishers, 4e.)—Other books for the little ones are How We Went to the Seaside, by R. S. Praeger (2s. 6d.) ; Arthur and the Boilybird (1s. 6d.), with Mr. F. Adams's funny pictures again ; The Daisy ; or, Cautionary Stories in Verse, with Illustrations by Edith A. Hobson (3s. 6d.); Roundabout Rhymes (1s. 6d.) ; and Round the Clock (1s. 6d.), all from Messrs. Blackie and Son.
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