JORINDA AND JORINGEL

Rich, ethereal illustrations star in this version of the familiar fairy tale. Jorinda and Joringel, two young lovers, wander into an enchanted forest where Jorinda is turned into a nightingale by the resident witch. Guided by a dream, Joringel finds a red flower that breaks the spell and frees his beloved and thousands of other bewitched girls. The no-nonsense prose tells the story quickly, allowing the illustrations to create a romantic world of gossamer leaves and flowers, iridescent-eyed animals, and softly muted colors. An untraditional witch whose deathlike face peers eerily out of her shroud and the two lovers, portrayed as wide-eyed and barefoot preadolescent children, contribute to the haunting, dreamlike quality of the illustrations. For readers who like their fairy tales to look like fairy tales.