This 1961 trade paperback reprints Pogo daily strips from, I guess, 1961 along with some new material, a finely lettered description of the contents is in the lower photo above. I quite enjoyed reading it again, and it’s recommended if you can find it.

I first read Teale’s four nature travelogs about the seasons (and one about spring in Britain) in the 1970s, and haven’t begun to reread them until now, but I’m finding them just as excellent and absorbing now as I did then. This is the third one written, published in 1960, the Autumn one was done earlier, but I’d rather read them in seasonal order. This time Teale and his wife travel mostly by car from New England along the Great Lakes, and then into the central midwest to the Rockies. Every short chapter is in a different place, each describes wonders of the plant, insect, animal, and natural world in ways that bring the unfamiliar and overlooked to life. Yes, some things are now out of date, but nature is perennial, and nothing here is irrelevant. I don’t read much non-fiction, and when I do it’s often nature related. This series by Teale is among the best I’ve tried, and well worth your time if you like nature adventures. And the writing will draw you in, as it does me. Recommended.

Science fiction anthologies were a staple of my youth, often found in local libraries, but this one was different. Published in 1967, it was a rare one with all new stories, and a monster at 544 pages. I bought it through the Science Fiction Book Club around 1968, and thought it daring and modern. Harlan Ellison’s mandate was “dangerous,” and some of these stories fit that bill well, but reading it today, they are far less shocking than they were at the time. Sex and sexual deviations, drugs, foul language, moral taboos, extreme violence, all were rare in the genre then, and all are common here and in today’s world. Ellison’s sometimes lengthy intros are a good part of the appeal, and authors also add afterwords to each one. The introduction is by Isaac Asimov. Many of the top authors of the time are here (with the exception of Heinlein and Clarke), as well as many that were starting out and became well-known later. The story that struck me as the most modern and cutting edge today was “Faith of Our Fathers” by Philip K. Dick, which is interesting because I had tried one novel by him at the time, and didn’t like it, so never read any others. That and others have some relevance to today’s politics and world situation, which hasn’t changed that much in some ways, while others are clearly products of the 1960s, including the peace and love movement, and those tend to seem more dated. In all, this is a worthwhile read despite its age, and recommended. The line art by Leo and Diane Dillon on the cover and for each story title is simple but effective.

This large format hardcover has lots of wonderful Wesley Dennis art, and is the story of Hans, a baker’s boy in Vienna who dreams of becoming one of the students at the famous Spanish Court Riding School, known around the world for their white stallions who perform amazing feats of riding and jumping. Hans has only the baker’s cart horse Rosy to practice on, and his family thinks his plan is hopeless, but with hard work and determination, one day his dreams come true. A fine book and recommended.

This 1962 trade paperback reprints Pogo Sunday strips from 1959-61, and has political satire that’s a little more biting, with the pig that looks a bit like Russia’s Khrushchev being joined by a goat who looks even more like Cuba’s Castro. Kelly mentions in his introduction that some of those strips were rejected by some papers. But, as usual, most of the humor comes from the swamp animals themselves, with additional topics like summer camp, a bloodhound who has lost his sense of smell, and TV ad jingles. Great fun and recommended.