The Cat and the Cook and Other Fables of Krylov

In this droll collection, 12 Russian fables warn against pride, show the importance of cooperation and counsel moderation. The cat of the title story feasts on a chicken while the cook lectures him, doing nothing to stop him: ""words are wasted when it's time for action."" In ""The Eagle and the Mole,"" a lordly eagle learns the hard way that even a lowly mole might have something to teach him. Lobel (Alison's Zinnia) contributes sunny, folkloric paintings with echoes of Chagall. They run exuberantly to the edges of the page at top and bottom, their vigor apt for these robust tales. Includes notes about the fabulist Krylov (1768-1844) and sources for this volume. Ages 5-up. (Apr.)