|
Following Princess Furball and Toads and Diamonds, Huck and Lobel now reshape
another traditional story, a labyrinthine Scottish tale set in Norway. A widow's
youngest daughter announces that the man she marries need not be titled nor
wealthy: "I only want him to be kind and good and to love me. I'd even be
content with the Black Bull of Norroway." That very creature, "known
to be a monster," appears at her door when she, Peggy Ann, leaves home to
seek her fortune. The bull brings the girl to three different castles on
successive nights, announcing that each is the residence of one of his brothers,
who are humans. After Peggy Ann removes a thorn from the bull's foot, breaking a
spell and thereby restoring him to a handsome duke, the two become separated and
years pass and several plot gyrations occur before the couple reconnects. In a
concluding note, Huck refers to her heroine's "long and arduous search for
her lost love," but their reunion is roundly satisfying. The text is
inventively set into Lobel's watercolor and black pen illustrations. An
appealing folk-art quality gives the tale a suitably timeless look, while the
thoughtful visual interpretations capture its emotional nuances. Ages 6-up.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc
|
 |