SEVEN STEPS TO CREATIVE CHILDREN'S DRAMATICS

From ten years' experience with children's theatrical productions, Mrs. Walker has compiled a rich contribution with a program to help teachers and recreation leaders to unfurl childhood's creative abilities. Her program is a reasonable one, based on seven exercises which are suitable for use in the classroom. Initial lessons develop awareness of the five senses with activities which constitute ready-made lesson plans. An imaginary surprise birthday party for one member of the class, for example, is one of them. Then with activities involving animal characters, some physical states to enact -- ""reciting a poem with a bad cough, playing the piano with a broken finger, trying to go to sleep with a mosquito buzzing about the ears, etc.,"" -- she limbers up the children for the final section,- actual play production. With three original plays by the author this is a valuable addition to the teacher's shelf.