Stories and poems for children, by various authors and with illustrations in colour and sepia. As in all his books Ernest Nister's idealised children are charming with blue eyes and blond curls and appeal to an English and American audience which he deliberately targeted. Using very capable printers at his Bavarian printing house and excellent chromolithography the colours have remained bright and fresh. Some of the pages, however, show the signs of considerable use over the years.

Nister used numerous authors and illustrators for his books, and is perhpas best known for his movable books. His Roundabout pictures can be viewed on the Treasures Wall website.

The Gilbert Family of Pewsey Vale donated a collection of over 200 books and many games to the Children's Literature Research Collection in the late 1960s. The children's books and games were designed to instruct as well as amuse and many were sent out by their aunts who lived in England and took an active interest in their Australian nephews and nieces.

Other examples of books in the Gilbert Collection are Jumbo's Picture Book of Natural History and Only for very good children.

'Ernest Nister', The Renier Collection of historic and contemporary children's books: occasional list, number 8, 1991

Hunt, Julia. 'Ernest Nister', Newsletter of the Children's Books History Society, number 58, July 1997, pp. 19-20

Krahe, Hildegard E. 'The importance of being Ernest Nister', Phaedrus, 1988, pp. 71-90

Muir, Percy H. English children's books, 1600 to 1900 London: Batsford, [1954]

State Library of South Australia: Children's Literature Research Collection. Gilbert Collection

Pop goes the page: Movable and mechanical books from the Brenda Forman Collection. Ernest Nister: the sentiemtal sensibility

State Library of South Australia: Mortlock Wing exhibitions. To be a child August 2004-