Books for Children: A Christmas List

The list that follows, selected with an eye to Christmas giving, does not in any way cover the field. The books chosen are ones that are fresh, imaginative, and tell a good story.

MARY POPPINS FROM A TO Z by P. L. TRAVERS, illustrated by Mary Shepard (Harcourt, Brace & World). That magical nurse, counselor, and friend of children everywhere, heroine of three other books, is with us once more. This witty alphabet book in twenty-six short episodes uses several words for each letter, and most words are characters from the earlier books. Marvelous nonsense that is great fun.

THE TWO OLD BACHELORS by EDWARD LEAR, illustrated by Paul Galdone (McGraw-Hill—Whittlesey House). The merry nonsense story in rhyme of the impecunious old bachelors who went out to search for fixings to augment their dinner of a muffin and a mouse is supported with whimsical drawings in purple and black; just right for a hilarious horror story.

THE NUTSHELL LIBRARY, written and illustrated by MAURICE SENDAK (Harper & Row). Four miniature books, in a decorated slipcase to match, which are sheer delight to view and read. An alphabet book, Alligators All Around; a counting book. One Was Johnny; a book on the seasons. Chicken Soup With Rice; and a nonsense cautionary tale, Pierre—all of which will delight any small child lucky enough to receive this unusual library.

ONE BRIGHT MONDAY MORNING by ARLINE and JOSEPH BAUM (Random House). A charming picture book written in the rhythm of “The Twelve Days of Christmas” describes the days of the week in early spring, when trees show a bit of green, birds sing, worms wiggle under the grass, and then suddenly spring is burgeoning everywhere. Pictures in full color carry along to a brilliant finale.

THE VERY LITTLE BOY by PHYLLIS KRASILOVSKY, illustrated by Ninon (Doubleday). Pictures in red and blue and a sentence or two on each page effectively tell how one little boy, so small he had to stand on tiptoe to reach the cooky jar, in due time grew big enough to push the carriage of his new baby sister,

HOUSE OF FLOWERS, HOUSE OF STARS, written and illustrated by BENI MONTRESOR (Knopf). This oversize picture book in many colors, printed in several type faces, includes three short fables about children seeking houses of their own. In addition, the author has painted various houses, slicing some of them in two to show their occupants at work and play. Executed with infinite care, yet with a wildly imaginative brush.

DR. SEUSS’S SLEEP BOOK, written and illustrated by DR. SEUSS (Random House). In the latest book by this talented purveyor of nonsensical tales, the author relates in rhyme and pictures the manner in which his fantastic creatures induce sleep. A comic tranquilizer for restless moppets at bedtime.

WINGFIN AND TOPPLE by EVANS G. VALENS, JR., illustrated by Clement Hurd (World). Two flying fish, one timid and awkward, the other bold and sure, meet among the swaying seaweed on the ocean floor, where the timorous one learns from his new friend that fins can be wings if used properly, and together the two fish soar into a beautiful new world. The misty block prints with undulating waves, sea creatures, and racing puffs of cloud against blue sky create a magic setting for this lovely fantasy.

THE HAPPY BIRTHDAY EGG by DAVID CORNEL DEJONG, illustrated by Harvey Weiss (Atlantic-Little, Brown). A strange face peering at them through the bedroom window unsettles David and his cat, Alexander, and they immediately enlist the services of their friends to solve the mystery. It takes Alexander to pursue systematically each clue, thereby revealing an object that explains all. Good fun accompanied by frolicsome pictures.

ROSALIE, THE BIRD MARKET TURTLE, written and illustrated by WINIFRED and CECIL LUBELL (Rand McNally). The action of this story for the very young takes place in the Paris bird market, where a turtle, a talking crow, several fruit vendors, and many children are involved. The climax arrives happily for all concerned, crowned with a feast of strawberries and cream.

DUSTY AND THE FIDDLERS by MISKA MILES, illustrated by Erik Blegvad (Atlantic — Little, Brown). Dusty is afraid he won’t be able to go to the Old-timers’ Picnic because his father and a neighbor have come to an impasse over who plays the best fiddle. He solves the situation for everyone though, by finding and bringing home three stranded fiddlers who can outfiddle both men. Wonderfully humorous dialogue with black-and-white drawings that match the story.

HENRY AND THE CLUBHOUSE by BEVERLY CLEARY, illustrated by Louis Darling (Morrow). They are all back again — Henry Huggins, Beezus, and Ramona, that small girl who is the pest to end all pests. With this cast of characters, the author proceeds to tell the adventures that befall Henry and his pals when they decide to build a much-needed clubhouse.

THE EMPEROR AND THE DRUMMER BOY by RUTH ROBBINS, illustrated by Nicolas Sidjakov (Parnassus Press). The author and illustrator of Baboushka and the Three Tings, Caldecott medal winner of 1961, weave a dramatic tale around a historical incident whose chief protagonists, two brave French drummer boys, march through a brilliant parade of adventures, pageantry, storm, and shipwreck. Tricolor pictures, accented in black lines, capture the mood of the charming story and may well capture another prize.

ME AND CALEB by FRANKLYN E. MEYER, illustrated by Lawrence Beall Smith (Follett). Short stories, some funny and some sad, tell adventures of two brothers living in a small town in the Ozarks. The stories have a quality not unlike that of Mark Twain.

CARNIVAL IN PARIS by NATALIE SAVAGE CARLSON, illustrated by Fermin Rocker (Harper & Row). Marc and Nelly Flandin, children of a circus family, live with their aunt and uncle on a farm during the school months, then join their parents’ Petit Cirque of trained goats, dogs, and ponies for the long holidays. This is a happy situation until one year, to everyone’s dismay, there is not enough money to carry on. An irresistible tale, Parisian in flavor but universal in theme.

THE LIONHEARTED ONE, written and illustrated by LISL WEIL (Houghton Mifflin). Franzi, small chore boy at his uncle’s inn on the banks of the Danube, tried to emulate his hero, Richard the Lionhearted, whose picture hung above the mantel. Nevertheless, he couldn’t resist “borrowing” a visiting Texan’s jeweled boots one day, which plunged him into real trouble until he faced up honestly, as his hero would have done. Gay, humorous drawings of the Austrian scene.

CUTLASS ISLAND by SCOTT CORBETT. illustrated by Leonard Shortall (Atlantic - Little, Brown), Skip and Harvey, popular boy detectives of other stories, have a go at solving a strange situation on Cutlass Island, where the trusted caretaker is acting “curiouserand curiouser.” A rattling good detective yarn, climaxed with fireworks, cannon, and musket fire, which seems natural enough because the island houses a museum of Civil War weapons.

RIBBON OF FIRE by ALLAN CAMPBELL MCLEAN (Harcourt, Brace & World). This is a powerful novel of Scottish crofters who are led to believe by traitors in their midst that the laird, their absentee landlord, is responsible for the cruel taxes levied upon them. A vivid picture of the windswept moors and the dour Scots who inhabit them.

THE SUMMER OF THE FALCON, written and illustrated by JEAN CRAIGHEAD GEORGE (Crowell). The story of a summer in the country, the secret language of childhood, the sometimes hazardous escapades, and the continuous training of the falcons make the framework of the story. The underlying meaning is the similarity of maturity in ail nature’s creatures. Above average.

MACAROON by JULIA CUNNINGHAM, illustrated by Evaline Ness (Pantheon). A child, misunderstood by adults, is adopted by a wise raccoon, who teaches her the secret of contentment through a series of sometimes harrowing adventures. This is a story of real substance, fresh and appealing.

THIS HALLOWED GROUND by BRUCECATTON (Doubleday). This distinguished history of the Civil War by the eminent historian and Pulitzer Prize winner won the Fletcher Pratt award in 1957. The author has made some astute deletions for young readers; otherwise the original text remains. Augmented with maps, lithographs, and sketches in full color and black-and-white.

BABY ELEPHANT AND THE SECRET WISHES by SESYLE JOSLIN, illustrated by Leonard Weisgard (Harcourt, Brace & World). Baby Elephant gets to the heart of the matter on Christmas Eve by asking each member of his family a very timely question. How he interprets their answers to fit exactly what he has in mind for each one for Christmas makes a charming story, and the artist has achieved the gayest possible pictures.

CHRISTMAS EVE by EDITH THACHER HURD, illustrated by Clement Hurd (Harper & Row). A hushed, reverent quality pervades this version of the birth of the Christ Child, as the barnyard animals and birds follow the shining star to the manger in Bethlehem to welcome the baby with gifts and song. Strong, black woodcuts against a blue background blend perfectly with the mood of the story.

THE GLORIOUS CHRISTMAS SOUP PARTY, written and illustrated by LINDA HALE (Viking). A mouse family contributes its favorite ingredients to the soup kettle, which results in a gourmet’s delight for the host of small animals gathered around the Christmas board.

CHRISTMAS IN THE STABLE by ASTRID LINDGREN, illustrated by Harald Wiberg (Coward-McCann). A child whose whole world is the farm where she lives listens quietly to the story of the Savior’s birth in a stable and envisions the whole scene as taking place in her own stable. A charming concept accompanied by full-page paintings in quiet tones.

THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS by CLEMEXT C. MOORE, paintings lay Grandma Moses (Random House). Never before reproduced, these paintings for this favorite Christmas poem somehow seem just right. The snowy scenes, the cozy parlor with stockings in a row on the mantel, children nestled all snug in their beds, prancing reindeer make a Christmas book in the very best American tradition.