AESOP'S FABLES retold and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. 2000. 96 pp. 1-58717-000-0 (SeaStar Books) $19.95. Aesop's small tales have a large impact in
this elegant edition. As an illustrator, Jerry Pinkney has a special affinity for animals: his watercolor paintings are warm, expressive, and delicately rendered.
CHILDREN OF THE DRAGON: Selected Tales from Vietnam by
Sherry Garland, illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman. 2001. 64 pp. 0-15-224200-7 (Harcourt Children's Books) $18.00. Six traditional tales from Vietnam are retold in lively, engaging prose, accompanied by exquisite, colorful
paintings. This collection will have appeal to anyone with an interest in folklore or in Vietnamese culture.
GERSHON'S MONSTER: A Story for the Jewish New Year by Eric A. Kimmel, illustrated by Jon J Muth. 2000. 32 pp.
0-439-10839-X (Scholastic Press) $16.95. In this warm parable, Gershon, who is in the habit of sweeping his misdeeds into the cellar (then bagging them up and tossing them into the sea) learns in the nick of time that taking
responsibility for his actions has far-reaching effects.
A GIFT FROM ZEUS by Jeanne Steig, illustrated by William Steig. 2001. 176 pp. 0-06-028405-6 (Joanna Cotler Books/HarperCollins Children's Books) $17.95. Mythology,
Steig style! This famous couple adds their own special twist to this collection of sixteen myths, including tales of Prometheus, Midas, Adonis, and more.
THE GIRL WHO SPUN GOLD by Virginia Hamilton, illustrated by Leo
and Diane Dillon. 2000. 40 pp. 0-590-47378-6 (The Blue Sky Press) $16.95. This is a West Indian variant of the familiar Rumplestiltskin, the story of a cruel, little man who helps a young woman spin straw into gold, giving her
three chances to guess his name or be held hostage to his demands. Hamilton's retelling is beautiful and the Dillons' striking illustrations make this a must-have for the fairy-tale collector.
HOW THE CAMEL GOT HIS HUMP
by Rudyard Kipling, illustrated by Lisbeth Zwerger. 2001. 24 pp. 0-7358-1482-1 (North-South Books) $15.95. Both fans of Kipling-a master storyteller-and of Lisbeth Zwerger, whose art has an otherworldly elegance, will enjoy
this exquisite edition of a classic tale.
THE NAMES UPON THE HARP: Irish Myth and Legend by Marie Heaney, illustrated by P. J. Lynch. 2000. 96 pp. 0-590-68052-8 (Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic Press) $19.95. This
sumptuously illustrated collection will entrance anyone interested in Irish mythology and legends. Heaney's retelling of these stories is lyrical and Lynch's art is sure to please. A welcome addition to the family bookshelf
alongside Greek and Roman mythology.
ONCE UPON A FAIRY TALE retold by 21 celebrity authors, illustrated by 21 illustrators. 2001. 80 pp. 0-670-03500-9 (Viking Children's Books) $29.99. A colorful collection of four
popular nursery tales-The Frog Prince, Little Red Riding Hood, Rumplestiltskin, and Goldilocks and the Three Bears-retold by more than twenty celebrities and illustrators. Includes a CD of the celebrities performing their
favorite tales.
RACE OF THE BIRKEBEINERS by Lise Lunge-Larsen, illustrated by Mary Azarian. 2001. 32 pp. 0-618-10313-9 (Houghton Mifflin Company) $16.00. Dramatic storytelling and striking woodcuts tell the Norwegian
legend of a trek undertaken on skis over rugged terrain to save the life of a young prince. A great gift for skiers, who will know of the annual race that takes its name from this medieval tale.
THE THREE PIGS written
and illustrated by David Wiesner. 2001. 40 pp. 0-618-00701-6 (Clarion Books) $16.00. Caldecott award-winning author David Wiesner has done it again. In this hilarious retelling, the three little pigs escape the wolf by going
into another world where they meet the cat, the fiddle, the cow that jumped over the moon--not to mention a dragon.