Reviews

Gr 1-5-A girl born of the east wind and a mortal woman is the heroine of this original fairy tale. Unaware of her parentage, Resshie grows up yearning to "know the winds' secrets," and becomes a weaver. Out in the world, she weaves a house for herself out of willows and grasses, but finds no one to share her life. Then she weaves a man of stalks and vines, but when they dry out, he collapses. Her "more durable husband," made of wool and skins, lasts longer, but he too fails. She captures a human man, but lets him go when he grieves for his freedom. Finally, a young prince arrives at her door, and she proposes to him, promising to weave a tapestry that shows his true likeness. The results prove that they were meant for one another and precipitate the happy ending. The Dillons' art perfectly suits this book. Small, woodblock-like vignettes on the left, unpainted clay sculptural masks in the middle, and paintings in a romantic vein on the right tell the story. Hair, clothing, clouds, and leaves are in constant motion until the prince appears, when stillness momentarily falls on the art. As the intricate artwork imposes order on the curves of nature, so the weaving together of work and love, freedom and fulfillment, self and soul mate gives the tale depth and resonance.-Patricia Lothrop-Green, St. George's School, Newport, RI