Many Happy Returns and Other Stories

In this successful collection of stories fantastic and ordinary happenings are recounted in everyday contexts. All the stories are comic in varying degrees -- from the belly-laugh to the wry smile. 'Winters Tale' and 'Tall Story' are particularly good because they deal with the power of storytelling. 'Many Happy Returns' and 'Like Brother and Sister' will fulfil many fantasies -- we usually have to wait until after the unwelcome event to concoct a satisfying response. In these two stories we can enjoy the satisfaction at the time with the young protagonists. The target for the young is usually an adult -- especially obtuse in 'The Scientific Approach' -- which will make scoring a bull's-eye even more pleasurable for Junior readers. The black and white line drawings are almost incidental but welcome.