Surprise, surprise! Fully prepared to feel a bit contemptuous, I emerged from a reading party centered around Gertrude Stein's story for small children, with a conviction that hitherto she has missed her aim, and now has found herself. Her style follows the word patterns and thought patterns of youngsters making up their own stories. Much of the humor for adults will escape children, but most of it is just down their lane. Here is a book that will fall flat unless introduced to children by an adult who is getting fun out of sharing it. The pictures by Clement Hurd are decorative and again strike the child note in their artful simplicity. This book may quite possibly become the vogue, in which case its price won't be a handicap. And don't forget there's bait for collectors in the limited signed edition at $5.00.
