ILLINOI S UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN PRODUCTION NOTE University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library Large-scale Digitization Project, 2007. BULLETIN OF THE CHILDREN'S BOOK CENTER Published by The University of Chicago Library - Center for Children's Books No. 6 Vol. III May, 1950 --- -- BULLETIN of the Children's Book Center. Published by unless the book is used with some motivation from the the University of Chicago Library - Center for teacher or librarian. The text gives an excellent over- Children's Books. Mary K. Eakin, Librarian. view of the wide variety of work that goes on around a farm and stresses modern methods of agriculture. The The book evaluations appearing in this Bulletin illustrations are clear and informative and add much to are made with the advice and assistance of members the appeal of the book. A useful title for conservation of the faculty of the Graduate Library School, the classes. Department of Education, and the University Laboratory school. Brewster, Benjamin. The first book of cowboys; pictures Published monthly except August. Subscription price by William Moyers. Watts, 1950. 21p. $1.50. Gr.5-5. is $1.50 a year. Checks should be made payable to Text and illustrations showing the typical cowboy as the University of Chicago Library. Correspondence he goes about his regular work and takes part in rodeos. regarding the Bulletin should be addressed to the Of particular value are the pictures showing the various Center for Children's Books, University of Chicago, parts of a cowboy's wearing apparel and his gear. These 5855 Kimbark Avenue, Chicago 57, Illinois. pictures help explain many terms that are regularly used in cowboy stories, but are not often defined. A double page spread shows cowboys at work in various parts of the Mew Titles for Children and Young People world. A book that should be a welcome addition to any library collection. Andrews, Roy Chapman. Quest in the desert; illus. by Kurt Wiese. Viking, 1950. 192p. $2.50. Carmer, Carl Lamson. Windfall fiddle; illus. by Arthur A case of "Mongol dog makes good". Taken by his Conrad. Knopf, 1950. 175p. $2.50. Gr.6-8. (D80; master on an expedition into the Gobi Desert in 1920, D45;D154). Wolf performs feats of memory, intelligence, and Every time Bob tried to get a violin quickly and strength that would be worthy of any man. Based on the cheaply his plans went awry. Finally he decided that the author's actual experiences in exploring the Gobi Desert, only way to get one was to set to work and earn it, this should have been a good adventure story but it has Twenty dollars was all he needed, but that was a large sum too many flaws to make it acceptable. Although Jack to a young boy living in a small town in the early part of Benton protests his belief in racial equality, the this century. Ingenuity, sheer hard work, and some author's own position is left in doubt. The comparison 'helpful advice from his friend, Mr. Minette, finally of the Mongol with the pets of the various members of brought success. A story packed with humor, suspense, the expedition is inexcusable. Equally objectionable and some good common sense. is the way in which "man" always means "white man"; otherwise the words "Chinese" or "Mongol" are used. Clark, G. Glenwood. Thomas Alva Edison; illus. by Added to these weaknesses is the excess of sensationalism Millard McGee. Aladdin, 1950. 165p. $2.50. Gr.4-6 in each chapter. Since the book is intended for older An excellent biography of Edison written for the boys, it would be preferable to send them to the middle elementary grades. The story begins with an author's adult, factual works which have the same exciting account of the part Edison's father played in information but are better written. the Mackenzie rebellion in Canada and his escape to the States. In simple but very readable style the author Attwood, Frederic. Vavache, the cow who painted pictures Edison's boyhood, with his early interest in pictures; illus. by Roger Duvoisin. Aladdin, 1950. chemistry, and continues through the events of his life 77p. $2.25. Gr.5-5. until his death in 1951. This is a complete picture of A slight fantasy of a small American boy spending Edison both as a man and an inventor, and should have a the summer on the coast of France who makes friends place in the biography collection of every library. with a cow that can paint pictures. A nice blending of fantasy and realism. Some children may be discouraged Collins, Dale. Shipmates down under; illus. by Rafaello by the excess of French names and expressions, but the Busoni. Holliday House, 1950. 188p. $2.25. Gr.5-7. book will have real value as read-aloud material. Two young boys from Australia have an opportunity to sail with their uncle in a replica of Captain Cook's Bethers, Ray. Perhans I'll be a farmer; pictures and Enterprise. In the course of the voyage they are marooned story by Ray Bethers. Aladdin, 1950. 51p. $1.75. on a desert island, the ship burns, and the boys find a Gr.6-8. sunken treasure ship. A fairly credible story and one A companion volume to Perhaps I'll be a sailor. that sea-minded youngsters should enjoy. Like the other book this one has a fairly mature text and a picture book format. This may prove a handicap -39- - 40 - Cothren, Marion (Benedict). Pictures of France by her Ernst, Margaret (Samuels). W ;or English roots and how children. Oxford, 1950. 51p. $1.50. All ages. they grow. 2d ed, rev. Knopf, 1950. 116p. $2 (D3;D62). Gr.6-8. A companion volume to Little people in a big Revised edition. Although the book does not achieve country. These are pictures of modern French scenes all that is promised in the introduction, it is of painted by French children, most of them in their interest as a beginning guide to the study of the early teens. The introduction and explanatory texts growth and development of the English language. are given in French and English. Useful for art classes as well as the general library collection. Evatt, Harriet. The secret of the whisperin willow; illus. by the author. Bobbs-Merrill, 1950. 282p. Courlander, Harold. The fire on the mountain and $2. Gr.4-6. (Dll6). other Ethiopian stories; by Harold Courlander and A typical Evatt mystery. The scene is a small Wolf Leslau; illus. by Robert W. Kane. Holt, 1950. French Canadian village. The main character, a ten- 141p. $5. Gr.4-6. year-old girl, uses her ingenuity to help the family Uneven collection of Ethiopian folk tales. Some fortunes and brings about the reunion between a father of the stories will make welcome additions to the and his long-lost daughter. The characters and storyteller's collection. Recommended for large situations are quite plausible and there is much of libraries, or where there is great need for folk the flavor of French Canadian village life. An material. acceptable mystery. Crampton, Gertrude. More Pottleby adventures; illus. Garrett, Helen. Tophill road; illus. by Corydon Bell. by Anne Merriman Peck. Aladdin, 1950. 82p. $1.50. Viking, 1950. 251p. $2.50. Gr.5-7. (D1;D57). More antics of the Pottleby family whose chief Mr. Upham was the only member of the Upham family function in life seems to be getting into and out of who had ever lived in the country. Therefore when an ridiculous situations. The whimsy is too exaggerated opportunity came for him to take over a friend's and the humor too slight for the book to have much "country home" for a summer and have a chance to do real value. some writing, the family accepted with little warning of what awaited them.. The house had been built in Daugherty, Charles Michael. Let'em roll; written and Revolutionary days and had not been lived in for four illus. by Charles Michael Daugherty. Viking, 1950. years prior to this summer. At first it seemed miles 188p. $2.50. away from everyone, but as the children began to An attempt to combine history and Hollywood in a explore, they found plenty of neighbors - normal and story of a young boy's visit with his uncle who is a peculiar; animal and human. After the first few days movie director. The picture being filmed is based on they decided that country life is as much fun as city a biography of Fr6mont and his western expeditions. life. This, in fact, is the major flaw of the book, The history sequences are so long and dull and the for the author has made every day of the summer a day Hollywood scenes so brief that the story drags too of excitement and discovery, with no periods of much to sustain interest. The book has some classroom boredom, no family quarrelings, and with an uncom- value but little use in the general collection. plaining acceptance of the father's "no noise" rule. The result is an extremely pleasant story, with a great Dobbs, Rose, ed. Once upon a time; twenty cheerful deal of charm, but one that does not quite achieve tales to read and tell; illus. by Flavia Gag. reality. To add a bit of spice there is a mystery that Random House, 1950. 117p. $2. Gr.2-4. is, unfortunately, given away in the note on the back Old and new favorites about people and animals of the book jacket. and things, all told with a freshness and humor that will please children and adults alike.