Nine pourquoi stories drawn from named sources such as Bulfinch, The Journal of American Folklore, and the work of various anthropologists. Rosen's retellings are spare but fairly lively; Clementson's illustrations, vibrant with sharp-edged areas of joyfully intense color that appear to have been cut with scissors, dramatically frame the stark white areas of text. Concluding notes about cultural sources and the animals themselves are addressed to young readers; it's too bad that the credited sources are not also mentioned. An outstandingly handsome, eye-catching book--one that's likely to be especially useful to storytellers and teachers. (Folklore. 3-9)
