THE STORY OF SIMPSON AND SAMPSON

Are Munro Leaf's name, plus Robert Lawson's beautiful pictures sufficient to warrant wide popularity for this new venture, which I personally, felt much too adult in its conception, its execution and its humor for small children. It lacks the simplicity of Ferdinand — and even Ferdinand, in its implications, had its adult side. Simpson and Sampson were twins, one very good, one very bad, so that it made it difficult for their mother who didn't know when or whom to punish. And when they grew up, one went through the country righting wrongs, the other wronging rights — and achieving quite other results from what they set out to do. The final test came in a tournament, a trial by arms; they helped each other out — and ultimately they patched up the quarrel, for they couldn't remember what it was about anyhow. Judge for yourself — is this a book for children, or a book adults will buy using children as an excuse?