Shorter Notices

The Funny Little Woman Arlene Mosel (Longman £1.50)

An unusual tale, for 6-8 year olds, about a little woman in old Japan who lives in a cottage cooking rice dumplings. She stumbles upon an exciting adventure one day when one of her dumplings falls through a hole in the floor; in chasing it, she finds herself in a mysterious underground cave, inhabited by the wicked On, who capture her and force her to cook for them. She eventually escapes back to her cottage. The weird atmosphere underground is accentuated by the exotic illustrations in luminous greens and yellows, while life above ground continues in sketches of black and white.

The Pond Crow Bernadette Watts (Abelapd Schuman E1.35) What rich, powerful, glowing colours — the illustrations alone, with their fascinating detail, are reason enough to buy this book. The story is about envy, pride, compassion and love. The proud, foolish crow learns how to love, and accept his true nature through the unselfish compassion of a timid sparrow. Very young children would perhaps find the

abstract concepts difficult to grasp, yet the actual tale is simple and gentle enough for a mature 3 year old, and yet would also satisfy a 7 year old. A very beautiful complete moral tale.

Hogglespike in Danger Patricia Drew (Chatto and Windus E1.50) • A very simple story about a family of hedgehogs who become victims of a hard winter.

The illustrations help to describe. the actions and give the hedgehogs a distinctive character. The motherly instinct, and the instict to survive are predominant as the hedgehogs encounter each danger.

That Kind of Rabbit Peggy Blakely (Adam & Charles Black £1.25) Town Mouse is asked by "the triNlds" to stay in the country, and this is a tale of his very simple adventures there with Ferdy Fox, Poppy Pig and others, including Ruby Rabbit who is bossy and organises everybody — with of' course, their interests at heart — (she's that kind of rabbit). The strange thing is, the story's not really about Ruby at all, it's about Town Mouse, and it is he, with his inexperience and anxieties with whom the 3-5 year old' will identify. The illustrations are delightful, colourful and very unusual, with little or no background detail to detract from the zanily dressed characters.

Animal World, Animals in the David Smith and Derek Newton (Longman £1.10) For the ever enquiring mind of the 7-10 year old this book will answer many questions about the animals who sleep by day and spend most of their active lives in the dark.

Types, characteristics, and habits of the animals are briefly

explained without unnecessary detail. Of the twenty-five species mentioned, even the adults may learn a thing or two about such creatures as the Wolf Spider, the non. pigmented 01m, and the Texas Blind Salamander with its eyelids fused together! Perhaps not ideal bedtime reading, especially as Peggy Chapman has incorporated some most vivid animal illustrations.

Annie, Bridget and Charlie Jessie G. Townsend and drawn by Jan Pienkowski (Puffin 30p)

Learning the alphabet is no longer a parrot-fashion recital, but an amusing task related to life.

'A is for apt little Annie .

'E is for erring young Edward — and so each rhyme begins for each letter of the alphabet.

The characters are delightful in each rhyme, and agitated parents may even wish to identify their children with some. An ideal example being:—

'B is for bad little Bridget Who is morn, noon, and night in a fidget.'

Jan Pienkowski's amusing illustrations add character and charm to this alphabet book, which is ideal learning and revision for anY 5-7 year old.

The Bhie Fox Margaret Howell (Longman 80p)

A well-rounded animal kingdom story with a very familiar ring. The cunning fox falls into ,a bucket of blue paint and turns this „accident into his triumph when he persuades the other animals that he is king of the forest. His reign is short-lived however the monkey is wiser than he, outwits .him and (having the same lust for power) succeeds him as animal king.

Tales of this simplicity seem just and right to young children who will see the monkey as the rightful king simply because the fox is the accepted scoundrel of all best loved animal stories. Colourful, but not particularly inspiring illustrations.

Miss Carter Came With Us Helen Bradley (Jonathan Cape £1.95) , A work of art in itself, written and drawn by Helen Bradley, a73.yearold grandmother. Born and brought up in Lancashire; withlp the book, she depicts life in this community during the year 1908. Scenes such as suffragette marching, shopping expeditions, Christmas baking, and country outings are beautifully illustrated in a style similar to that of LowrY. Colour and movement help to enhance the vivid atmosphere of each setting. For children who love the characters in Helen Bradley s previous book, And Miss Carter Wore Pink, some of them appear again, including the three maiden Aunts, Miss Carter, and the dogs, Gyp and Barney. These and other characters in the commentarY portray typical EdWardian northern activities which are a delight for any modern child to read or hear.