The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • Page 95

12-F THE NASHVILLE TENNESSEAN, Sunday. Nov. 17. 196S 'London Doir Is Old Classic Whimsey Spells A'B-Cs liiii 6iiii 111 la Nov. 25 wmme HnBM pMHW iLjLTL'S-mmi nil EDITED BY FLOY W.

BEATTY Pure Zany Is a Guy Called Joe ELF KING JOE. By Ethe-lyn M. a i n. Illustrated by Cornelia Brown. Abingdon Press.

$3.25. Reviewed by D. COLEMAN Joe's real name is Jonathan Shalimar Socrates Pal-O-Mes Zanzibar, and if that isn't enough trouble, he has 20 doting aunts who lived with him. He lives very well, on peanuts, popcorn balls and pink ice cream, until his aunts decide he needs to go on a diet. King Joe bangs his head and screams, and finally takes matters into his own hands.

He goes in search of a wife. It makes an entertaining tale, and one that youngsters will not quickly tire of. NO END OF NONSENSE. Verses translated by Jack Prelutsky, pictures by Wil-fried Blecher. MacMillan.

$3.95. The nonsense starts right at the cover of this sprightly book and continues all the way through. Children who have an ear for the humorous and the absurd will delight in the verses, and younger children will enjoy identifying the many different, and sometimes strange, animals portrayed. The verses were translated from the German and the book is printed in West Germany. EDITH BIG BAD BILL.

By Dare Wright. Random House. $2.95. Edith and Little Bear dis- tiger (I think) who establishes abode in a family's large teapot. He refuses to obey several family delegations who vent their fury on him because, as everyone knows, the Englishman, by Jove, must have his afternoon tea.

And how is tea to be brewed atop a tiger? The clever tiger-pot drawings are executed with skill to become counterparts of those who importune the animal to leave his unsuitable quarters. DuBois has created carefully vocal pictures to enhance Betty Yurdin's slight story. HIGH ADVENTURE. A Treasury for Young Adults. Edited by Seon Manley and Gogo Lewis.

Funk and Wagnalls. $4.95. These editors have made a skillful selection of stories and poetry from adult fiction which are suited for young people. From Conan Doyle to James Thurber, these stories of exciting adventure will thrill readers who get overdoses of science fiction, rocketry, space travel and racial conflict. Agatha Christie and Saint-Exupery are represented as are Emerson, Thoreau, Shelley, Mark Twain and others.

I love you, Manley and Lewis, for shoring up Browning's thought that "a man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a heaven for?" and for giving meat instead of milk to growing minds. Finger nail biographical sketches precede each author's story. The book is neither a plodding nor a pedantic exercise in anthologizing. It will furnish rare delight for discerning young readers. Cornelia Brown's drawing for "Elf King Joe" WiW BmiSts The Scroobious Tip is an engaging poem in which all the animals in the world gather around the Scroobious Pip, trying to decide if he is bird, beast, insect or fish.

The handwritten manuscript of the poem was discovered almost finished among the papers of Edward Lear, master of nonsense rhymes and limericks, after his death. For this edition, the unfinished lines are filled in by Ogden Nash. Children are sure to enjoy the detailed line drawings and full-color paintings. TALES FROM THE BALLET. Selected and adapted by Louis Unlermeyer.

Illustrated by Alice and Martin Provensen. Golden Press. $5.95. Here is a book, beautifully illustrated, which will delight any aspiring young ballerina and many who aren't. The author tells in lively and easy-to-read fashion the plots of 20 of the world's best-loved ballets, including Swan Lake, Bluebeard and Petrou-chka.

In the foreword, Unter-meyer gives a concise history of the ballet. For artists Alice and Martin Provensen this book started as an amusement for their daughter. It turned into quite a production. Centennial Dress Pretty Indeed obey orders to stay out of the dark wood where a ferocious bear is rumored to live. They have quite an adventure, and in the process learn that Big Bad Bill isn't as bad as he was supposed to be.

The book is illustrated with photographs taken by Miss Wright, a professional photographer. The pictures of the stuffed bears and the doll Edith are imaginative and unusual. It probably is no coincidence that the Edith doll bears a striking resemblance to Dare Wright. THE SCROOBIOUS PIP. By Edward Lear.

Completed by Ogden Nash. Illustrated by Nancy Elkholm Burkert. Harper and Row. $3.95. promise in her "Hospital Sketches" asked her to write a book for girls.

She was unhappy with what she had been doing but probably afraid to try anything else, so it took persuasion to get her to undertake anything so different. The need of money was pressing enough to get her started, and it was definitely love for her family that kept her at the undertaking until it was finished and called "Little Women." She described the story as "not a bit sensational but simple and true, for we really lived most of it." The honest approach and sense of reality gave the book its strong ap peal, even in that sentimental period, and put it far ahead of its time. The success of the book firmly established Louisa Alcott as a writer. The improbable short stories were then abandoned for longer fiction, and the days of poverty were over. UNDER THE title "Glimpses of Louisa" Miss Meigs has collected ten of what she considers the best of the Alcott short stories.

These were written before "Little Women" and are romantic and moralistic in the style of the times. After Louisa Alcott learned to write better, she was rather ashamed of these earlier efforts. "Onawandah," the Indian story, is probably th best of the ten. All of them are more or less dated and are not likely to interest girls of today. But for anyone interested in the history of children's literature they are signficant as representing mid-nineteenth century juveniles.

The Alcott name will continue to rest on "Little Women." Adults, Too From Pre'Schoolers To the Senior High MEMOIRS OF A LONDON DOLL. By Richard H. Home. Macmillan. $3.50.

TO TELL MY PEOPLE. By Madeleine Poll and. Holt, Rinehart Winston. $4.50. MAGIC AT MIDNIGHT.

By Phyllis Arkle. Funk Wagnalls. $3.50. Reviewed by SARA SPROTT MORROW Over a century ago, Home mentioned to Elizabeth Barrett, his friend, that he had written a sort of Christmas book for children called "The London Doll." This is a re-issue of Home's famous book. Endearing and intelligent is Maria Poppett, who was made by Mr.

Sprat, as we follow her from Christmas to Christmas about famous London streets where she has delectable experiences. Every doll lover, young and old, deserves -a copy of this literate book. A genius wrote it with imagination and true wit. MADELEINE Polland's fascinating novel is set in ancient Britain at the time of the Roman invasion. Young Lumna, a half-savage girl, is taken as a slave by a Caesarian scout and dragged off to Rome to a society unknown to Britons.

She returns to her homeland through her own ingenuity with a plan to assist her people in arising from savagery to something akin to Roman culture. Mrs. Polland has researched this material with care to portray the times and customs of pre-historic Britain. Tragic and moving, the story's setting can introduce intelligently to young readers the 400-year-occupa-tion of the Romans in Britain. THOSE WHO know the historic inn signs of England know also that they were erected as guides for an unlettered people.

Phyllis Arkle has used her imagination to have the animals who inhabit the signs make nightly forays into the English countryside. Wild Duck, Hounds, Mermaid and Lion are among these delightful animals who leave their signposts to indulge in astonishing escapades which must cease with the dawn's early light. Eccles Willams has done whimsical drawings as illustrations. CAT. By Ellie Simmons.

McKay. $1.95. PINKY IN PERSIA. By Kay Royle. Crowell-Collier.

$3.50. THE TIGER IN THE TEA POT. By Betty Yurdin. Holt, Rinehart. $2.95.

Here are some channels for animal lovers from 4 to 8. "Cat" is an anachronism a book without words. Its delightful black and white drawings need none to portray the ineffable joy many of us have known when we took home a stray kitten and found that mother agreed to its instant adoption. "Pinky" is Miss Boyle's real cat who went with her to Teheran. A child will learn more than a mere cat-tale because Miss Boyle includes subtle information about curious Iranian flora and fauna.

Pinky's exciting dream adventures include bat-borne air views of the countryside. Lilian Obligado's drawings are an especial fitment for Kay Boyle's text. William Pone DuBois' bouy-ant, capricious illustrations completely overbalance the story of "Tiger," which is itself a pleasant one. We associate tigers with tanks at this moment, but this is an English Jewish Life Conies Alive In New Book The biblical origin of Jewish holy days or festivals, relating it to the modern celebration in home or synagogue is presented by Barbara Bates in Bible Festivals and Hly Days tBrnadman. Mrs.

Rates, a Presbyterian, is editor of juvenile trade books for Westminister Press and the author of nine other books. While "Biblical Festivals" is designed for fourth graders end up, the information here will prove invaluable to many cider readers whose understanding of Jewish customs is negligible. The book is illustrated by Don Fields whose work has been seen in "A Bible Dictionary for Young Readers" and "How the Bible Came To Is." Two other NnshvilHans are a'so contributors: Jerome of the Wet End Syna-j-'ocuc evaluated the ms. and Rabbi Arthur Hollander, Religious School Director there, "offered detailed criticism and valuable suggestions." Reviewed by ANN KRENSON A book for 2-6 year-olds that will charm parent as well as child is The Alphabet Book (Four Winds Press. $3.95) by Rodney Peppe.

Illustrated by the author in gay colors and a whimsical style it is destined to become a favorite. Numbers (Piatt Munk. $2.50) by Robert Allen with gay, full color photographs by Mottke Weissman provides a delightful first encounter with numbers and counting that is fun as well as educational. A thought provoking book for the 4-8 set is Say Something (Harper Row. $3.50) by Mary Stolz.

The author presents a little boy asking questions about his world. With Edward Frascino's lively and colorful pictures he answers himself at his easel. This book will stir the imagination of children to "say something else." An older reader will be completely captivated by Kenny and his Raft (Hart. $2.95) written and illustrated by Pierre Probst. Kenny's father has given him a marvelous raft and when a flood threatens to overwhelm the countryside Kenny and two animal friends set out on the raft to rescue the stranded farm animals.

Inside, Outside, Upside Down (Random. $1.95) by Stan and Jan Berenstain, a Bright and Early Book is for Beginning Beginners with simple words and simple pictures. Anyone familiar with P. D. Eastman (and isn't everyone remember Cat in the Hat and the others?) will expect to be entertained by his latest book The Best Nest (Random.

$1.95) and will not be disappointed. It is the story of Mr. and Mrs. Bird and the ups and downs of "nest" hunting. tale about why never-never-land royalty rides on backs of elephants.

For the 6-to-8-year-olds are Ben's magic to help the sad and poor townspeople in The Boy Who Could Sing Pictures (Doubleday, written and illustrated by Seymour Leich-man; and the mystery of the missing 2000th house in William Mayne's The House on Fairmount (Dutton, For the 12-year-old are these two: The Kingfishers (Funk and Wagnalls, a major contribution to the literature of wild life by two noted Czechs, Karel Novy and the artist, Mirko Hanak, who stress creatures in-the-wilds need to be free; and Newspaperman Edward Preston's Martin Luther King: Fighter for Freedom (Doubleday, the story of one man's belief in a struggle for freedom through non-violence. For the boy in senior high, school are these Steck-Vaughn stories at $2.50 each by Former Coach Bill J. Touchdown Duo, involving ati titudes, abilities, as well as vivid football game descriptions; and by William Heu-man, Backup Quarterback, an account of the toughness and challenge of professional football. Also in this category are Tex Maule's realistic novel of professional football, emphasizing experience and self-discipline, The Receiver (McKay, and from Random House at $1.95 each Howard Liss' The Making of a Rookie (Sayers, Hart, Bubba. Smith, Warfield) and Phil Ber-ger's Championship Teams of' the NFL, biographical and sta-; tistical histories of big-time, football, its discipline, training, strategy and personalities together with black-and-white action photographs that are the joy of the young athlete.

Bookstores 2'M-700i high thinking was in the field of education where he was far ahead of his time, too far to be successful. He never seemed to be able to make enough money for the family needs, and the devoted and conscientious Louisa, feeling impelled to supplement the family income, saw writing as her way of helping. She wrote many romantic stories that had some sale but no literary value. She spent a short time in Washington as a nurse in an army hospital, and the experience was recorded in her letters home, later published as "Hospital Sketches." Another broadening experience was the year she spent in Europe as companion to an invalid, but she came home to find her mother ill and the family in want. The distressing situation compelled action, and she plunged into writing the same kind of stories as before, but now she was disillusioned with them.

Soon an editor who had seen More Poems to Read to the Very Young (Random. $1.50) are selected by Josette Frank and illustrated by Dag-mar Wilson. Marchette Chute, Robert Louis Stevenson, Milne, Rachel Field are some of the more familiar names that appear in this excellent, amusing collection of 40 poems. Art Series LITTLE WOMEN. By Louisa May Alcott.

Centennial Edition. Little, Brown. $4.95. GLIMPSES OF LOUISA: Best Short Stories. By Louisa May Alcott.

Little, Brown, $4.95. Reviewed by MARGARET M. BREARLEY Celebrating the hundredth year since the publication of "Little Women," is this beautiful centennial edition as well as a collection of Miss Alcott's short stories. Cornelia Meigs, the best authority of Miss Alcott and author of the biography "The Invincible Louisa," writes the introduction for both books. "Little Women" in its centennial dress is ineed a handsome volume reset and redesigned, but carrying all the full-colored paintings that Jessie Wilcox Smith did for the Beacon Hill Bookshelf edition.

The story itself is too familiar to need comment. It is enough to say that it is a true classic beloved by all generations of American girls. Miss Meigs' introduction adds interesting information about how the story came to be written. Bronson Alcott, Louisa's father, was one of the Trans-cendentalists, that group of New England intellectuals who believed in "plain living and high thinking." His particular Eighth in ail ih i ti-r Prepared bv Charles Schulz for The Children's Book founcil, Inc. (Tri.

Reg. U.S. Paf. Of. All rights reserved c.

1Vc8 by United Feature Syndicate, Inc.) By L. M. COLLINS Books are fun; they are also information, whether they are the first step in learning to read, the ABC's, or the ABC's of living or of sports competition. For example: For the pre-school child, attracted by color and kindly, clever animals are Dial an Alphabet (Random House, skillfully but simply written by Bennett Cerf's son, Christopher, to demonstrate by a dial system letters and sounds in a new way; Evening Prayers (Golden Press, a combination of verse-prayers and illustrations by the Wilkins Sisters, for day's end to teach the idea that all living things are in God's hands; the beauty of the city's landscape in brilliant collages vie with brown-skinned Peter's plans for Amy to attend his birthday party in Caldecott Medalist Ezra Jack Keats' A Letter to Amy (Harper Row, the best in poetry and exciting sounds and shapes is the dramatic black, orange, and green of A Paper Zoo: A Collection of Animals; Poems by Modern American Poets (Macmillan, including John Crowe Ransom's "Little Boy Blue," by Renee Weiss and Eilen Res-kin; The Elegant Pelican (Steck-Vaughn, Mil-dren Wright's Lesson One: Be kind to dumb animals, even to Pete, the pelican with an outsize beak; The Other Side of the Mountain (Macmillan, Robert Leydenfrost's Lesson Two: Animals too need care, illustrated in unusual "dot" pictures; and the best buy for a dollar, a Golden book, The Sun Shone on the Elephant, Gwyneth Mamlok's Heroes Galore Recommended for i evening reading after the homework are these hooks for DANCER AT NIAGARA. Bv Margaret Cioff Clark.

Funk Wagnalls. The story of a 15-year-old boy, Homan Reed, who gets plenty of adventure by joining the American army to fight the British on the Canadian border. HERO OF TWO SEAS. By Charles G. Mailer.

Maps by John Flynn. McKay. $4.25. The early career of Thomas Mac-donough, naval hero of the War of 1812, on such famous ships as the Constitution. Age 12-15.

Bl'GLES AT THE BORDER. By Mary Gillctt. John F. Blair, publisher. $3.95.

Fascinating history for young readers is this fictional tale of a teen-ager during the American revolution. Authentic background on the war as fought in the Carolinas. Ages 12 and up. VOur lihtamA WILLOURSLER-S RELIGION: CUT CR WAY OUT tour Of a-fu-n, of new i I i-P, rfrtjfs tlin Muigtf, --peakirg in tongues. n'-i'-i-R concerts el furs f- flvil, hravrn vn punt.

ft ton, (JnprTM, God. Capful tenort nerf land, nerf tttuiu irpia -a. u. THE PERFECT GIFT For The YOUNG CHILD Color nitd tWors 2 1 ake-A-loii I'miiks C.apli- ating sels of stones, piuk- 1 iiicd in clear I i c- tuke- lonfi hook hat. 1 he H't ji.y.s.

I'np-lp Hooks animuicd spectaculars for tun-lovers of all II CCS each Top-1 I rlt and Kiiihr. I'np-l c.uli rinoccliio Ihe of A lice in nndrrland ij Early Bird Knukt. An e. citing new series. I nil color 5 itories for eies 2 to 6.

J1.E0 each. ZIBART 719 CHURCH 254-1873 MADISON SQ, 665-5043 GREEN HILLS 223-543 4 trVWVWVWWWWWWVV 2 GREATEST GIFT OF ALL I THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS. Compiled by Georgess McHargue. Doubleday. $6.95.

When is a children's book not just a children's book? Obviously when adults would enjoy it. That is the case with this delightful anthology for story lovers of any age. There's something for every mood, for the stories range from the funny and fantastic to the nostalgic, from a segment of the autobiography of Lincoln Steffens to a comical hunt for an anteatcr. Included are the writings of Peter Freuchen, Robert Peary, Richard Byrd, Roald Amundsen as well as Ernest Hemingway, James Thurber, Dylan Thomas and Truman Capote, whose contribution is a small-town cameo titled, "Jug of Silver." This 763-page anthology is a fine way to introduce young readers to the literary lights of the 20th Century. If they haven't already, today's young readers ought to have a brief introduction at least to writers such as James Thurber, Hemingway, Lin Yutang, Pearl Buck and others.

The nicest thing about this volume is that if you can get it away from the youngsters, it is enjoyable reading for you. It was, incidentally, a Literary Guild alternate. Those who passed it up have reason to be sorry. L. ARMOUR 'V ,1 BEST In Child ren's Hooks for 76 Years The most Complete Selection, along with Expert Advice We specialize in selecting the right books for the right young person.

'lit r. Mills 100 Oiks Brllf Mradt Pla. I lillsboro Village A fascinating glimpse into a vanished civilization is provided the elementary grader in "The Art of the Etruscans" (Harper. Illustrated with photographs by Alfred Tama-rin, this is the eighth in Shirley Clubok scries of outstanding art books. The author conducts Saturday gallery talks for children at The Metropolitan Museum of Art..