THE BURIED MOON

The Australian creator of the innovative The Mysterious Hubbub (1990) retells an eerie English tale collected by Joseph Jacobs: Because the ``Hidden Folk'' lurk in the shadows, it's ``certain death to walk through the Marshlands after dark,'' except by moonlight. When the Moon herself comes down to investigate the perils, she's captured by treacherous vines; struggling to warn a traveler, she's imprisoned and buried by the ``Horrors.'' When the Moon fails to appear, the man she saved leads the villagers on a courageous rescue mission, restoring the Moon to her place in the sky. Walsh's retelling is accessible, as well as nicely equipped with colorful words that evoke the bog's menace—including ``bogles'' for imps and the other amusingly baleful creatures (some look a lot like owls or mosquitoes) that swarm across her dramatic, well-designed pages. A handsome, imaginative presentation, especially for spooky-yarn fans. (Folklore/Picture book. 5-10)