BOOKS FROM ARIZONA HIGHWAYS FOR CHILDREN

NATURE'S LUMBERJACK WATER AND THE THIRSTY LAND

Among the settlers were farmers who saw in the dry desert land new hope. In spite of the hard baked crust and the sand they were determined that the Southwest should be made productive. They were not fooled by the strange, spiny plants which grew there. This land, they said, could grow better things. It could produce food. It could give flowers and fruit trees.

The settlers needed only one thing. More water. But how was this to be done in a land of little rain and no streams? The pioneers were determined and they tried hard to use water with care. At last, the settlers prospered.

Books Arizona Highways

ARIZONA HIGHWAYS has always had a special meaning for its readers. In its pages one finds spectacular beauty and informative reading, presented in an arresting manner.The staff of the David-Stewart Publishing Company, responding to this unusual material, is creating a special series of children's books based on articles which have appeared in ARIZONA HIGHWAYS and using the extraordinarily beautiful pictures for which the magazine has become justly famous. This series will be titled NatureAdventure Books.These books came about through a desire on the part of the David-Stewart Publishing Company and its staff to bring to all young readers beautiful and absorbing books, not only to those young people who already know ARIZONA HIGHWAYS, but readers to whom the series will open new reading horizons.It was the magnificence and plenitude of picture material and interesting articles which led to the idea for the series. David Rosenberg, executive vice-president, and co-founder with Stewart Roberts, of the David-Stewart Publishing Company, saw copies of ARIZONA HIGHWAYS and admired its quality and excellence. Slowly an idea took shape. Why not develop and transform some of the articles into high quality children's books? He could envision books in which children could take real delight, and through which they could become acquainted with some of the distinctive features of the Southwestern United States, from the vast panorama of great canyons and mountains and rivers to the delightful antics of the creatures of all size that inhabit the land.

WAPITI KING OF THE WOODLAND from for Children...

His ideas and his excitement created enthusiasm among the staff. Titles were suggested and a list of projected books was started. They became story ideas and outlines and finally words on paper.

The first four titles placed in production were: Water and the Thirsty Land; Nature's Lumberjack (the story of a beaver); Wapiti, King of the Woodland (the story of an elk); Our Indian Heritage-Ancient Crafts That Live Today.

Now the mechanics of the work began. Each maga-

OUR INDIAN HERITAGE

ARTS THAT LIVE TODAY

zine article was completely rewritten for the juvenile audience, expanded and rearranged, and the resulting new manuscripts were given to David Rosenberg, director of the series, and to Mrs. Phyllis Kirk, managing editor of children's books at the David-Stewart Publishing Company. Any changes they suggested were incorporated and the manuscripts next went for criticism to a well-known consultant in elementary education. With any further needed revisions, the manuscripts were sent for final consideration to Raymond Carlson, editor of ARIZONA HIGHWAYS.

All these steps took place before typesetting. Meanwhile, pictures were selected and tentative layouts were planned. Title pages and covers were designed. Writing, picture selection, layout, type design-each stage was handled with careful attention to details.

Each member of the writing team found his task rewarding. Varied talents and experience in many areas combined to produce books unique in content, yet equal in quality.

Members of the staff working on these books in the series are: Stewart Roberts, president of the David-Stewart Publishing Company, has had ten years of experience at the Meredith Publishing Company, where he was director of the Better Homes and Gardens book projects division.

David Rosenberg brings to the series a background of eighteen years in the publishing field as a book designer, production and manufacturing director and creator of book ideas with Harper's, Julian Messner and other publishing houses.

Eth Clifford, who has written Wapiti, one of the series titles, is associate editor in charge of pre-school books and author of a number of short stories, novels and children's books, including two picture books The Year of the Second Christmas and Red is Never a Mouse.

Charlotte Jeanes, senior editor at the David-Stewart Publishing Company, is also director of research. She has written Water and the Thirsty Land. Miss Jeanes has worked with all types of books, adult and juvenile, and in many phases of publishing over a period of years as chief copy editor in trade publishing and technical editor at Stanford University Press.

Richard E. Kirk, another of the writing staff, is research editor for this project. He has had several years of experience in publishing, where he was an assistant editor, and in related fields of communication and psychology. He is the author of one of the books in the series, Nature's Lumberjack.

Phyllis Kirk, who has worked in the library system as a children's librarian and whose background also includes extensive research experience, was formerly a trade juvenile editor for a number of years. At the David-Stewart Publishing Company she provides the specialized knowledge of vocabulary controls, concepts understood by and suitable for children, and the other factors involved in producing children's literature of high quality.

Gene Lacy is the talented art director and designer responsible for the preparation of the layout of the books. Mr. Lacy has been art director for the advertising agency of Caldwell-Larkin, where he supervised a staff of ten. During the past five years, he has owned his own art agency. He has won a number of awards, among them the Chicago Art Directors Award for 1956.

Dr. Leo Fay is presently Professor of Education at Indiana University and is well known in educational circles. He received his doctorate at the University of Minnesota, He has also held the title of Professor of Education at the College of Education at Cortland, New York, and was also a visitin visiting professor in the College of Education at Bangkok, Thailand from 1956 το 1958. His special areas of interest are elementary education, reading and educational psychology. He has been a lecturer and participant in educational conferences such as those held by the University of Chicago, Syracuse University, the University of Minnesota, and Drake University, and many other universities and colleges.

Subject matter for the series is divided into categories: animal stories, natural history, biography and adventure. Each book is clothbound in a binding which adheres to the highest library standards. Technically, each is bound in C-grade pyroxilin-impregnated cloth, using 88-point chestnut binders board. Each is side-sewn, McCainstitched with nylon thread and with exposed muslin joints. Each is large-8/½" x 11". The last page of each title contains a glossary of words, names, phrases or concepts which may need definition or explanation for children.

It is the hope of the David-Stewart Publishing Company that these four are the first of many fine books to come from the pages of ARIZONA HIGHWAYS. The high quality and excellent photographic and editorial material promises a future of exciting books with which the David-Stewart Company is proud to be associated.