at first glance, fitting into the same category as the uber-yucky Readers Digest classics: entirely public domain material, capitalistically compiled for the sake of magazine readers -- the least literary of all 20th century americans -- who wanted cheap tomes to pose as ‘family treasures’ in their impersonalized living rooms.

yet somehow, this stands as the glorious ideal of The Story Book. handsome rhymes divers tales persistently dignified illustrations are woven throughout harmoniously enough to keep you turning the pages, awaiting the next object of fascination. (a child’s mind is always on the move, but writing a single oversaturated story to indulge his imagination is tasteless. the storybook serves as the attractive alternative—always important to allow PERUSING.)

fresh perspectives from all the Greats, who dabbled in whimsy and exotica without any overt silliness. b&w sketches mixed with shocks of vintage color, never blotting out the whole page, but merely decoration to enhance the already handsome presence of the text. and my personal favorite, those creative little didactic pieces dealing with the alphabet, the calendar, etc.
it’s all here, fellas… presumably by accident, BH&G hit the spot better than anyone else. ( )

Stories from before 1950, including LITTLE BLACK SAMBO