Secrets of the Stone

Taylor's (Two Days in May) glowing batik illustrations will draw readers into this attractive volume set in the Southwest. While hunting together one afternoon, Coyote and Badger chase Jackrabbit into a hidden cave filled with ancient pictographs. Other animals soon join them, and the small band wonders about the meaning of the pictures. ""Could the artists have been trying to speak to the spirit world?"" asks one, while another muses, ""I feel as if they're talking to us."" The animals hunker down to wait out a storm, and Coyote dreams of encounters with many of the figures from the cave drawings. The palette changes from golden hues to deep blues and greens as Coyote dreams of an idyllic world where herons and bears peaceably coexist and a mysterious flute player serenades him. Even in his sleep he can't catch Jackrabbit, however. Vivid descriptions (""faster than tumbleweed in a windstorm"") inspire borders of patterns and hues associated with the regional setting. An author's note explains more about the rock art of the Anasazi people. Ages 4-8. (Oct.)