Among many books elaborately printed by Messrs. Hildesheimer, are two illustrated by M. E. Edwards and J. C. Staples, "Told in the Twilight" (1883); and "Song of the Bells" (1884); and one by M. E. Edwards only, "Two Children"; others by Jane M. Dealy, "Sixes and Sevens" (1882), and "Little Miss Marigold" (1884); "Nursery Land," by H. J. Maguire (1888), and "Sunbeams," by E. K. Johnson and Ewart Wilson (1887).
F. D. Bedford, who illustrated and decorated "The Battle of the Frogs and Mice" (Methuen), has produced this year one of the most satisfactory books with coloured illustrations. In "Nursery Rhymes" (Methuen), the pictures, block-printed in colour by Edmund Evans, are worthy to be placed beside the best books he has produced.
Of all lady illustrators--the phrase is cumbrous, but we have no other--Miss A. B. Woodward stands apart, not only by the vigour of her work, but by its amazing humour, a quality which is certainly infrequent in the work of her sister-artists. The books she has illustrated are not very many, but all show this quality. "Banbury Cross," in Messrs. Dent's Series is among the first. In "To Tell the King the Sky is Falling" (Blackie, 1896) there is a store of delicious examples, and in "The Brownies" (Dent, 1896), the vigour of the handling is very noticeable. In "Eric, Prince of Lorlonia" (Macmillan, 1896), we have further proof that these characteristics are not mere accidents, but the result of carefully studied intention, which is also apparent in the clever designs for the covers of Messrs. Blackie's Catalogue, 1896-97. This year, in "Red Apple and Silver Bells," Miss Woodward shows marked advance. The book, with its delicious rhymes by Hamish Hendry, is one to treasure, as is also her "Adventures in Toy Land," designs marked by the _diablerie_ of which she, alone of lady artists, seems to have the secret. In this the wooden, inane expression of the toys contrasts delightfully with the animate figures.
Mr. Charles Robinson is one of the youngest recruits to the army of illustrators, and yet his few years' record is both lengthy and kept at a singularly high level. In the first of his designs which attracted attention we find the half-grotesque, half-real child that he has made his own--fat, merry little people, that are bubbling over with the joy of mere existence. "Macmillan's Literary Primers" is the rather ponderous title of these booklets which cost but a few pence each, and are worth many a half-dozen high-priced nursery books. Stevenson's "Child's Garden of Verse," his first important book, won a new reputation by reason of its pictures. Then came "Æsop's Fables," in Dent's "Banbury Cross" Series. The next year saw Mr. Gabriel Setoun's book of poems, "Child World," Mrs. Meynell's "The Children," Mr. H. D. Lowry's "Make Believe," and two decorated pages in "The Parade" (Henry and Co.). The present Christmas will see several books from his hand.