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1946 El Libro de Oro de los Niños I. Un mundo maravilloso para la infancia. Direccion literaria Benjamin Jarnes. Direccion artistica Prof. Dr. Luis Deporto. Prologos de Juana de Ibarbourou y Gabriela Mistral. Volumen primero of a set of six. Inscribed at Christmas, 1949. Mexico, D.F.: El Libro de Oro de los Niños: Editorial Acropolis. $25 from Clare Leeper, June, '96.

The six volumes in this series have each the same structure consisting of sixteen parts. Part VI is "Los Animales Hablan: La Fabula." Here it begins on 75 and runs through 98. The special gift of this series, I think, lies in the brightly colored illustrations that interact with the text. Their excellence can be seen with DS on 82-83. We see the dog first running along, then looking into the water and seeing a bigger dog with a bigger piece of meat in his mouth. By the next picture, one sees only ripples on the water and a dog looking into it. The final picture shows him crying in his doghouse. Take a look at that crane on 86 bending all the way across the page, with his head totally engulfed by the wolf! My Spanish is not terrific, but I enjoy the lion's final answer to the ass who has used his voice to scare up prey for the lion. "Tan terrible es tu voz, que hasta yo mismo he estado a punto di huir; mas, por fortuna, te conocía y sabía bien que tú, en el fondo, no eres otra cosa que un conejillo muy grande" (91). These excellent art-pieces are almost all signed "Mateldi," one of the many artists listed on the page after the title-page.

1946 El Libro de Oro de los Niños II. Un mundo maravilloso para la infancia. Direccion literaria Benjamin Jarnes. Direccion artistica Prof. Dr. Luis Deporto. Hardbound. Volumen segundo of a set of six. Inscribed at Christmas, 1949. Mexico, D.F.: El Libro de Oro de los Niños: Editorial Acropolis. $25 from Clare Leeper, June, '96.

The six volumes in this series have each the same structure consisting of sixteen parts. Part VI is "Los Animales Hablan: La Fabula." Here in Volume II this part begins on 63 and runs through 80. The T of C at the beginning notes the authors of the individual fables, here Aesop, Phaedrus, or La Fontaine. The special gift of this series, I think, lies in the brightly colored illustrations that interact with the text. Do the attacking cats roll off the ball of Holland cheese in which the recluse rat had holed himself up (66-67)? On 68-69, Mateldi combines the four colors to create two nicely contrasting views of the two meals of FS. There are lovely visual contrasts between the ant and the fly on 74-75. I like Mateldi's sweeping illustrations for FK on 78-80. These excellent art-pieces are almost all signed "Mateldi," one of the many artists listed on the page after the title-page.

1946 El Libro de Oro de los Niños III. Un mundo maravilloso para la infancia. Direccion literaria Benjamin Jarnes. Direccion artistica Prof. Dr. Luis Deporto. Hardbound. Volumen tercero of a set of six. Inscribed at Christmas, 1949. Mexico, D.F.: El Libro de Oro de los Niños: Editorial Acropolis. $25 from Clare Leeper, June, '96.

The six volumes in this series have each the same structure consisting of sixteen parts. Part VI is "Los Animales Hablan: La Fabula." Here in Volume III this part begins on 71 and runs through 82. The T of C at the beginning notes the authors of the individual fables, here Aesop or La Fontaine. The special gift of this series, I think, lies in the brightly colored illustrations that interact with the text. In LM (73-75), the teamwork of the group of mice is part of both the story and the visual presentation of the story. Mateldi's depiction of the netted lion is a triumph of suggestive lines. Another fine single illustration is that showing the hawk lifting the mouse and frog into the air (77). In this version, it seems that both frog and mouse had in mind to eat the other. "Uno y otra pagaron así su mala fe" (77). I enjoy the mouse that goes out to adventure in the world, only to get clamped inside an oyster (82). LM alone of the four fables presented in this volume is signed "Mateldi."

1946 El Libro de Oro de los Niños IV. Un mundo maravilloso para la infancia. Direccion literaria Benjamin Jarnes. Direccion artistica Prof. Dr. Luis Deporto. Volumen cuarto of a set of six. Inscribed at Christmas, 1949. Mexico, D.F.: El Libro de Oro de los Niños: Editorial Acropolis. $25 from Clare Leeper, June, '96.

The six volumes in this series have each the same structure consisting of sixteen parts. Part VI is "Los Animales Hablan: La Fabula." Here in Volume IV this part begins on 67 and runs through 78. The T of C at the beginning notes the authors of the individual fables, here La Fontaine or L. Clasio. The special gift of this series, I think, lies in the brightly colored illustrations that interact with the text. The artist has fun, for example, with the wolf whom the horse kicks into the arms of a fox (71). The first of Clasio's fables has an imprudent spider spin her web using the horns of a stag sleeping under a tree (72). Mateldi has a great time again with the characters and spectators in TT (76-78). Two of the four fables presented in this volume are signed "Mateldi."

1946 El Libro de Oro de los Niños V. Un mundo maravilloso para la infancia. Direccion literaria Benjamin Jarnes. Direccion artistica Prof. Dr. Luis Deporto. Volumen quinto of a set of six. Inscribed at Christmas, 1949. Hardbound. Mexico, D.F.: El Libro de Oro de los Niños: Editorial Acropolis. $25 from Clare Leeper, June, '96.

The six volumes in this series have each the same structure consisting of sixteen parts. Part VI is "Los Animales Hablan: La Fabula." Here in Volume V this part begins on 71 and runs through 84. The T of C at the beginning notes the author of one of the individual fables, here La Fontaine for "El gallo victorioso." The other authors are anonymous. "El gallo victorioso," by the way, does not run its usual course into the presence of a larger bird who attacks the proud victorious cock. It finishes rather with a comment that the chickens go off talking as though nothing had happened. The special gift of this series, I think, lies in the brightly colored illustrations that interact with the text. The three "storeys" of young are presented well in "The Eagle, the Cat, and the Sow" (76). Tapia's figures for "El Pollito Embustero" (82-83) make a delightful parade. Two of the fables presented in this volume are signed "Mateldi" and two "Alma Tapia."

1946 El Libro de Oro de los Niños VI. Un mundo maravilloso para la infancia. Direccion literaria Benjamin Jarnes. Direccion artistica Prof. Dr. Luis Deporto. Volumen sexto of a set of six. Inscribed at Christmas, 1949. Hardbound. Mexico, D.F.: El Libro de Oro de los Niños: Editorial Acropolis. $25 from Clare Leeper, June, '96.

The six volumes in this series have each the same structure consisting of sixteen parts. Part VI is "Los Animales Hablan: La Fabula." Here in Volume VI this part begins on 65 and runs through 76. The T of C at the beginning notes the author of each of the individual fables, here Aesop, G. Civinini, or L. Clasio. The first of the fables here has delightful illustrations across its three pages. "El Cangrejo Astuto" tells how the crab beats the fox in a race (67-69). There is a lovely illustration of an almond tree on 70. None of the fable illustrations presented in this volume are signed.

 

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