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THE FANTASTIC TOY SHOP by

THE FANTASTIC TOY SHOP

By

Pub Date: Dec. 21st, 1966
Publisher: Abelard-Schuman

As a souvenir program at a Saturday afternoon performance of the Rossini-Respighi ballet, this would be a delight, but as a picture book it has more choreography than content. The keeper of the toy shop greets and seats his guests politely; before he can begin to show his wares, the first of them, two very fussy old ladies, depart; the remaining guests, a father and his son, another father and his daughter, are delighted with the different kinds of dolls -- ""how they dance!"" But both children want the Cancan dancers, and so it is decided that each child shall have one of the romantic pair. That evening, the other dolls discover that the Cancan dancers are weeping in distress at being separated; they hide the two and rout the customers when they return. Where are the sweethearts? ""Well, we cannot tell you. One must keep a SECRET, secret always."" From the fragmentary themes, from the feet poised in second position, you can just hear it, you can just see it -- it's a tantalizing tidbit, a teaser for the complete performance rather than a fully realized drama.