Wilhelmina Seegmiller, 1866–1913, was a prolific early-20th century writer of primary readers, drawing books, and poetry for young readers. This particular book, Other Rhymes for Little Readers, originally published in 1911, was a sequel to Little Rhymes for Little Readers, originally published in 1903. Both books are clearly designed to introduce youngsters--pre-school-age children up through elementary school children--to the wonders and delights of poetry without intimidating them. Each poem (there are sixty of them) is short, written from a child's perspective, deals with matters that kids generally find interesting, and rhymes (always important when writing for children--just ask Dr. Seuss).
Add to those attributes fifty six drawings by professional illustrator Ruth Mary Hallock and you have a powerful lure for the young mind. I ask you, what better gift for a child or grandchild could you possibly find, than a lifelong love of poetry?
Preparing old books for digital publication is a labor of love for me. I hold my digital versions of public domain books up against any others with no fear of the comparison. Even if you own or have read the same exact book in its original hardcover, you will not be disappointed by this digital version. That's a promise. While remaining faithful to a writer's original words, and the spellings and usages of his or her era, I am not above correcting obvious mistakes--typos and printer errors--from the original book. The result, I hope, is a work that honors the author and will last, conceivably, forever.
