The Emperor's Nightingale and Other Feathery Tales

Gr 2–5—This peculiar compilation of literary tales, poetry, folktales and a Bible story may have difficulty finding an audience. Ray's retelling of Oscar Wilde's "The Happy Prince" focuses the story, making it, perhaps, more palatable for today's children. The language in her version of the Noah story, however, is disappointingly flat considering the beauty of its source. While Andersen's "The Emperor's Nightingale" is well known, Ray's expansion of a poem about a Cardinal Archbishop and his pet jackdaw is a more obscure choice. "The Firebird" is a natural selection for this compendium, but Emily Dickinson's poem "Hope is the Thing With Feathers" makes an odd addition. The most successful elements of the volume are Ray's scratchboard illustrations, which are striking in their varied textures and moods. They range from white feathers scattered onto a cherry-colored page and spot illustrations at chapter headings to a full-page portrait. Ray's choice of ink colors and backgrounds makes a strong graphic impression. Less impressive are her cursory source notes, which do not point readers to the specific editions or storytelling events that may have influenced her adaptations.—Miriam Lang Budin, Chappaqua Library, NY