"The Junior Encyclopedia"

New Zealand Listener, Volume 5, Issue 126, 21 November 1941, Page 44

"The Junior Encyclopedia"

FTER a year on the ait, the "Scrapbook" conducted by "Ebor’ every Monday in 2YA’s Children’s session has given way to "Ebor’s" "Junior Encyclopedia of the Air," which is a half hour of ‘amusing and interesting information on a wide variety of subjects, relieved by neatly-intro-duced. music, In the first instalment of the "Junior Encyclopedia" "Ebor"’ explained that just as Arthur Mee had been led to write his Children’s: Encyclopedia because of the many questions asked him by his small daughter, so the encyclopedia of the ait would set out to supply the answers to a lot of questions he knew young listeners would like to ask, There is nothing dry or schoolbookish about "Ebor’s’ encyclopedia, however. His practice is to ask a question, play some appropriate music while his_ listeners are thinking. over the answer, and then give the answer, usually at some length. For instance, in his first instalment he asked, "Who was the 18th century navigator who took a goat on his voyage round the world to supply him with fresh milk, and whose goat on its return to England was admitted as a pensioner at Greenwich hospital?" The music selected was Percy Grainger playing "Sheep and Goat Walking to the Pasture," which "Ebor’ added was written by the man who composed President Roosevelt's favourite ,song, "Home on _ the Range." The answer, of course, is Captain Cook, and "Ebor"’ explained that when the Lords of the British Admiralty, sitting tound a big table in wigs and gorgeous uniforms, had: signed a warrant admitting the goat to the privileges of an in-pensioner of Greenwich Hospital, of which Cook had been captain, Dr. Johnson wrote a Latin couplet for the goat to wear on her collar, -- a ween