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YOUNG READERS
Popular storytellers' appeal
By LYNDSAY CONNORS
THE DAY JEAN-PIERRE
WENT ROUND THE
WORLD. By Paul Gallico.
Heinemann. -pp68. Price
$1-75.
THE AFFABLE, AMI
ABLE BULLDOZER
MAN. By Elisabeth Mac
huyre. Angus and Robert
son. pp3>2. Price $1-75.
'THE adventures of
Jean-Pierre, a guinea
pig, when he is separa
ted from his young
French schoolgirl
owner, will app'eal to
children from six to 12
years.
As Jean-Pierre is bundled
from one aircraft to another
on his flight around the world,
Cecile receives a fascinating
series of letters from people at
the farthest ends of the earth.
All assure her that her guinea
pig is safe and is being re
turned to her.
Paul Gallico's style is strong
and simple. This book is very
well produced, with clear text,
suitable illustrations and good
binding.
The Affable, Amiable Bull
dozer Man has the strong bold
illustrations characteristic of
Elisabeth Maclntyres's work
(many adults will associate her
with the Ambrose and the
Kangaroo comic strip).
This is a picture story book
suitable for children from
about four to eight years. For
many of these young readers,
of course, the bulldozer has
much the same magical signifi
cance as the steam engine or
fire engine had for their par
ents.
* • *
SPACE CADET. By Rob
ert Heinlein. pp24Q.
Gollancz. Price $2.
Robert Heinlein's book is for
the youngster entering his
teens with a good strong fund
of imagination.
Heinlein has written several
science-fiction works for
youngsters and by and large
they read better than his more
recent works for adults. Space
Cadet was written in 1948 but
has never before been pub
lished outside America.
In general, the publisher's
claim that it reads as freshly as
when written holds good.
There will be few prospective
readers, though, who will not
pick up the writer's date, 1975,
for the first lunar landing, and
be surprised that it was to
be so late. — BJ.
$