The Adler Book of Puzzles and Riddles, aka today's Peggy's Puzzles Volume One - Part One
Hot off the press, from the author of Pallenberg Wonder Bears - From the Beginning, Peggy's Puzzles - Volume One, Written and Illustrated by Peggy Adler.
In many fields of accomplishment there is one name that stands out above all the rest. In baseball, there's the home-run king Babe Ruth. In invention, there's Thomas Edison. In composing military marches it's John Philip Sousa. And in the invention of puzzles - it's Sam Loyd. Sam Loyd was born in Philadelphia in 1841. He began his brilliant career at the age of 14 and his puzzles were eventually published in newspapers and magazines all over the United States. After he died in 1911, his son, Sam Loyd, Jr., continued the puzzle columns under his father's name. In 1914, Sam Loyd, Jr. published 5000 of their puzzles under the title, Cyclopedia of Sam Loyd Puzzles.
Peggy's Puzzle - Volume One is divided into four distinct parts. Part One, is comprised of revised Sam Loyd puzzles that are suitable for children as well as adults and were in Peggy Adler's original puzzle book, The Adler Book of Puzzles and Riddles, published in 1962 by New York's John Day Company. At that time, the New York Times called the book "A great wit-sharpener for the whole family". And today, it still is just that, for the puzzles and their illustrations remain the same. Only the names of the characters that populate the puzzles have been changed in this edition to reflect Adler's love of Old Time Radio, Movies and TV.
Part Two of the book is filled with brand new mathematical games and puzzles, created by Adler for the 1963 sequel to her 1962 book and Part Three, of Geography Puzzles from Adler's 1979 book of that name. And just as in Part One, the names of the puzzles' characters have all been changed to reflect her love of Old Time Radio, Movies and TV.
Last, but certainly not least, is the book's Part Four, Games My Father Taught Me, which is comprised of recreational, mathematical games Adler learned as a child from her late father, renowned, prolific author and mathematician, Irving Adler.
Sixty years later, this book is still a great wit-sharpener for the whole family.
Excerpts from 1962 Reviews for
"Good for family fun - for travel, convalescence, or just any time."
-The Horn Book
"... something very entertaining on a rainy day."
-Catholic Library World
"... delightful... "
-Publisher's Weekly forecast
"... a great wit-sharpener for the whole family."
-New York Times