cover image The Worker in Sandalwood

The Worker in Sandalwood

Marjorie Pickthall. Dutton Books, $14.99 (32pp) ISBN 978-0-525-45332-1

Tyrrell's delicate, finely drawn illustrations (reminiscent of Susan Jeffers and Nancy Ekholm Burkert) grace this 1914 short story about a mistreated carpenter's apprentice on Christmas Eve. Admonished by his harsh taskmaster to finish a sandalwood cabinet by morning, Hyacinthe is at the brink of despair when a stranger appears and keeps him company as he works. ``I also was raised a carpenter,'' says the visitor, and offers to help as the lad rests. When Hyacinthe awakens, the stranger is gone, leaving behind a cabinet of exquisite beauty and the unspoken question-who was he? Readers will have to decide for themselves. Pickthall's lush prose reflects the leisurely pace of a bygone era. Ages 5-9. (Oct.)