Spc Literature Bureau
p. 98 · Read in the full issue
Could Use Some Publicity
A great many books in simple English, evidently designed for the people of the South Pacific islands are now coming from the South Pacific Commission Literature Bureau. Most of these books would be suitable for children in other countries, also, as they are generally well produced, and prepared with considerable care. Per haps this is not the desire of the SPC — although it might help offset costs, and spread knowledge of the Pacific wider.
But we have several bones to pick with the SPC Literature Bureau over these books. They usually land in this office like poor little country mice let loose in a big city. It is necessary to look hard amongst the six-point type to find where they come from at all; there is no indication what section of Pacific peop'e they are aimed at; there is no indication what they cost: and no way of te’ling where, or if, they may be purchased One presumes, therefore, that they cost nothing and are distributed through some instrumentality of the six member govern ments of the SPC. This is probably weM enough, but as the idea behind the Literature Bureau is dissemination of read ing material among the native people, it might help the work if the natives con cerned could go out to a store and just buy a book.
What brought on this particular brain storm is a small book called "How the Crocodile Got Its Teeth, and Other Stories", which was sent to us by Mr.
Gilbert N. Lansdown. Mr. Lansdown tells us that he compiled the book, but, like the Literature Bureau, he doesn't te'l us anything else. Not how much it costs, or who it is for or where it may be bought. It is published by Macmillan and Co., and is "in association with the SPC Literature Bureau".
It is an imaginative collection of animal stories from Fiji, Papua and New Guinea, BSIP, etc., and in our own society would be suitable for children from five to eight years old. With a soft cover and black and white illustrations, the book looks to be worth about 3/- or 4/-.
Most youngsters would find the stories entertaining, although they might reflect that most of the bad habits these creatures have like crocodiles eating people and mosquitoes buzzing and biting at night were originally caused by mischievous humans, according to the myths Mr. Lansdown has collected, any
way.—.
J.T.