instruction with amusement. The book itself is miniature in size, about
two by four inches, with embossed gilt paper covers--Newbery's own
specialty as a binding. The sixty-five little illustrations at the top
of its pages were numerous enough to afford pleasure to any eighteenth
century child, although they were crude in execution and especially
lacked true perspective. The first chapter after the "Address to
Parents" and to the other people mentioned on the title-page gives
letters to Master Tommy and Miss Polly. First, Tommy is congratulated
upon the good character that his Nurse has given him, and instructed as
to the use of the "Pocket-Book," "which will teach you to play at all
those innocent games that good Boys and Girls divert themselves with."
The boy reader is next advised to mark his good and bad actions with
pins upon a red and black ball. Little Polly is then given similar
congratulations and instructions, except that in her case a pincushion
is to be substituted for a ball. Then follow thirty pages devoted to
"alphabetically digested" games, from "The _great A Play_" and "The
_Little_ _a Play_" to "The _great and little Rs_," when plays, or the
author's imagination, give out and rhymes begin the alphabet anew.
Modern picture alphabets have not improved much upon this jingle:

"Great A, B and C
And tumble down D,
The Cat's a blind buff,
And she cannot see."

Next in order are four fables with morals (written in the guise of
letters), for in Newbery's books and in those of a much later period, we
feel, as Mr. Welsh writes, a "strong determination on the part of the
authors to place the moral plainly in sight and to point steadily to
it." Pictures also take a leading part in this effort to inculcate good