rds, you can
nearly always pick out a "Birmingham" illustration at a glance, even if
it would be impossible to confuse the work of Mr. Gaskin with that of
Miss Levetus.

[Illustration: ILLUSTRATION FROM "THE STORY OF BLUEBEARD" BY E. SOUTHALL
(LAWRENCE AND BULLEN. 1895)]

Arthur Gaskin's illustrations to Andersen's "Stories and Fairy Tales"
(George Allen) are beyond doubt the most important volumes in any way
connected with the school. Mr. William Morris ranked them so highly that
Mr. Gaskin was commissioned to design illustrations for some of the
Kelmscott Press books, and Mr. Walter Crane has borne public witness to
their excellence. This alone is sufficient to prove that they rise far
above the average level. "Good King Wenceslas" (Cornish Bros.) is
another of Mr. Gaskin's books--his best in many ways. He it is also who
illustrated and decorated Mr. Baring-Gould's "A Book of Fairy Tales"
(Methuen).

Mrs. Gaskin (Georgie Cave France) is also familiar to readers of THE
STUDIO. Perhaps her "A, B, C." (published by Elkin Mathews), and "Horn
Book Jingles" (The Leadenhall Press), a unique book in shape and style,
contain the best of her work so far.

Miss Levetus has contributed many illustrations to books. Among the best
are "Turkish Fairy Tales" (Lawrence and Bullen), and "Verse Fancies"
(Chapman and Hall).

"Russian Fairy Tales" (Lawrence and Bullen) is distinguished by the
designs of C. M. Gere, who has done comparatively little illustration;
hence the book has more than usual interest, and takes a far higher
artistic rank than its title might lead one to expect.

Miss Bradley has illustrated one of Messrs. Blackie's happiest volumes
this year. "Just Forty Winks" (from which one picture is reproduced
here), shows that the artist has steered clear of the "Alice in
Wonderland" model, which the author can hardly be said to have avoided.
Miss Bradley has also illustrated the prettily decorated book of poems,
"Songs for Somebody," by Dollie Radford (Nutt). The two series of
"Children's Singing Games" (Nutt) are among the most pleasant volumes
the Birmingham school has produced. Both are decorated by Winifred
Smith, who shows considerable humour as well as ingenuity.

Among volumes illustrated, each by the members of the Birmingham school,
are "A Book of Pictured Carols" (George Allen), and Mr. Baring-Gould's
"Nursery Rhymes" (Methuen). Both these volumes contain some of the most
representative work of Birmingham, a