Bobby And Old Professor Make Appearance In Book

Bobby And Old Professor Make Appearance In Book

Children’s Science Feature Now Published In Permanent Form

Bobby and the Old Professor, who have been appearing regularly in a children’s science story every Saturday in The Ann Arbor News, now are available on book shelves.

Reilly & Lee, Chicago book publishers, issued the volume this week. It is entitled “So That's the Reason!” It includes 27 of the original "Bobby and Old Professor" series written by R. Ray Baker, associate editor of The Ann Arbor News and special writer for Booth Newspapers, Inc. Each chapter, or episode, is illustrated with a photograph or drawing.

A cover design in four colors adorns the paper jacket covering the bound book. The design represents Bobby and the Old Professor (who knows almost everything) standing and watching various objects of natural and mechanical science, including a spider web, an Indian, a dinosaur, an automobile, airplane and steamboat. The Professor is represented as answering Bobby’s questions.

Foreword by Dr. Ruthven

"So That's the Reason!” contains a foreword by Dr. Alexander G. Ruthven, president of the University of Michigan. The foreword reads as follows:

"Books designed to set before immature minds what man knows about his world continue to appear in large numbers and to be, on the whole, disappointing to teachers of science and nature study. To be sure, as examples of typography, illustration, and creative writing some beautiful productions come to the counters of the book sellers each year, but few of the entire crop can be counted upon to provide substantial and at the same time palatable food for eager and curious young intellects. Writers who attempt to popularize science too often fail to realize that it is not necessary to conceal facts under the guise of fairy stories, to endow animals with human characteristics, or otherwise to ’talk down’ to young people. The minds of our school children are made of sterner stuff and their curiosity is too down-right. and natural to be fooled successfully by such methods.

"Some of us believe that those children, and even adults, whose
intelligence has not been spoiled, by too much soft and predigested food, will derive solid satisfaction from Mr. Baker’s book. Not only is it written simply and clearly, but what is equally important, the presentation is as straight-forward as a well-prepared newspaper article. Most remarkable of all, the author has taken pains to have his stories checked and rechecked by able scientists. Here,then, is a book on the nature of the world which is at the same time popular, honest, and dignified.  It should appeal to those young minds which are struggling for knowledge and intellectual honesty.”

Not An Ordinary Person

The introduction, written by the, author Mr. Baker, explains that . “the Old Professor is not an ordinary person” and that is how it happens that he "can know almost everything. He is a com-, bination of several hundred persons. He is the whole faculty of a great University. And who is Bobby? He is the American boy in quest of knowledge. Julia, who sometimes appears and annoys him, but nevertheless receives the attention she desires, is the Amer-- ican girl insisting upon knowing, the ’why' of things.”

“So That’s the Reason! is intended for national circulation and is expected to be on sale within a short time in bookstores in nearly every city. According to present plans of the publishers, a series of "Bobby and Professor"  books will be published, from time to time, utilizing additional material as it is prepared by the author.

The first of the series, now off the press, is priced at $1.

R. Ray Baker, author of "So That's the Reason!"