Of course it's old: who would let sibling ages 4, 6, and 8 run all the way down to Main Street on their own nowadays? In fact, how many four year olds can tie a "good firm knot" and make a "proper neat bow" in their shoelaces nowadays? But it charmed the socks off me! The text is almost musical, repetitious and rhythmic, very helpful for a child learning to read but also lovely to read aloud. I'd go so far as to call this a lost classic; too bad it wasn't a Little Golden book, because then it would get reprinted in the current nostalgia run.
Wait For William by Marjorie Flack (Houghton Miflin 1935)(Fiction - Children's) is a fine kids book about a little boy named William who can't keep up with his older brother and sister. When the circus parade comes to town, the older kids are in for a surprise when they find out where William winds up. My rating: 6.5/10, finished 8/24/11.