THE BIRD WHO WAS AN ELEPHANT

Poet and short-story author Kamal--who ""has always wanted to write a story about India for the children of the West""--tells about a white bird that observes typical scenes during a village day; the bird also visits a Palmist, who tells him that 2000 years ago the bird was an elephant, but that in his next life he will be a fish. There's no real plot here, but the narrative is graceful, and the facts are presented in an interesting way. Best, Lessac (familiar for her paintings of the Caribbean, including the illustrations for The Chalk Doll, 1989) evokes rural India in an attractive, primitive style using naive perspectives and vibrant color.