my sibling and i were expected to sing or other wise perform for our suppers on holidays..
Brilliant, Helen! Have to start doing that with my kids.

several full color plates
I always loved that term. "Plates" tended to be very high quality illustrations, though, didn't they? On glossy paper, often with a protective sheet of tissue-like paper over the top. In a new book you would actually need to peel that sheet away. I expect original copies of books like that would be worth a fortune now.

Thanks for the references - I'll check out Amazon (recently visited for Just So Stories and Aesop's Fables ) and/or second-hand bookshops..

Found a picture of Apollo & Daphne, not brilliant, but may be helpful for passers-by:
http://www.galleriaborghese.it/borghese/en/edafne.htm

Talking fondly-remembered children's books, anyone out there also get pangs for Hilda Boswell's Treasury Of Poetry ?