Emma Serl

This review appeared in the January 1916 issue of The American School Board Journal:
Work A Day Doings on the Farm By Emma Serl Illustrated by Harry E Wood 128 pages List price 32 cents Silver Burdett & Company Boston New York and Chicago In the delightful supplementary reader little tots in the first grade may become acquainted with two bears Big Bear Dan and Little Bear Ben Early one spring these bears decide to buy a farm A farm is quickly bought and is gradually stocked with a big black show more horse a little red cow a nice white hen a shaggy dog a nice gray cat Some land is plowed Big Bear Dan planted corn in part of this plowed land Little Bear Ben sowed wheat in the rest Rain and sun help these animal farmers to good crops In fact most things seem to come their way One by one corn wheat apples nuts honey are gathered and stored A huge woodpile has been placed near their house and readers leave them toasting their toes before a bright fire in an old fashioned fireplace There is constant action and repetition so dear to the hearts of children The bears talk with their animal dependents in the most natural way possible It is hard to understand how the eyes nose mouth general pose of these bears can be made to tell so much in the illustrations show less