MAGIC WORDS

Drawing from Knud Rasmussen's writings of the Inuit people and their legends, Field evokes primal, earthy images in exceptional poetry. ""I hope that the reader can imagine real people speaking--in this case the Inuit, in all their history and humanity,"" he writes in an introductory note. His hope is realized in the powerful and simple legends he presents of the Inuit and their world. The verses about the creation of day, night, sun, moon, stars, thunder, lightning, heaven, earth, and hell resound with wonder, vengeance, and bravery, offering a keen sense of the people. Vitale's illustrations are a perfect accompaniment, fittingly of the earth in renderings on bark, wood, and stone. Rough shapes and textures combine with the brilliant, primitive paintings that are in sharp contrast to the background that conjures icy terrain. The title is just as fitting; readers will marvel at the magic of the words and images in this thoughtful fusion of culture, poetry, and art.