Once Upon an Island

Readers can almost smell the mango and feel a warm Caribbean breeze blowing through this collection of fables gathered from the West Indies. Linzer recalls four snappy animal tales oft-told by her relatives and friends on the island of St. Croix and shares them here, stewed in authentic flavor. Such stories as ""Special Friends,"" in which the bad advice Momma Cow takes from Ol Brother Bee causes her to lose her best friend, Egret, impart gentle morals while also featuring animals and plants indigenous to the islands. What makes the text most immediate, however, is the colorful dialect. For example, when the narrator describes Mornin Dove preparing to bring on the sun, ""Before Day come, when it not dark an' it not light, an' things still-still, an' nothin happenin. Well, there be Mornin Dove, with her black-black eyes them pop right open."" Linzer also emphasizes certain words in italics, which provides a sort of road-map for reading aloud. And for further entertainment value, each story is accompanied by a song--printed with lyrics and music. The stylistic elements that give the book its charm may also pose stumbling blocks for youngest readers. These vivacious tales are best delivered orally; their humor and pacing will hold an audience's undivided attention. Illustrations not seen by PW. Ages 5-9. (Nov.)