AIDA

Like last year's Fonteyn/Hyman Swan Lake, an elegant edition narrated by a star long associated with a major work.  As Price explains in an eloquent note, she sees Aida as "a portrait of my inner self…[whose] deep devotion and love for her country and for her people - nobility, strength, and courage - are all qualities I aspire to…"  Price's unpretentious yet dramatic retelling, like Fonteyn's, reflects her unique intimacy with the role.  In their handsome art, the Dillons skillfully combine stylized, rhythmically arranged figures in decorative friezes; larger paintings in which expressive faces are set off by rich backgrounds in collage-like patterns; and unique borders delicately wrought of gold.  A dignified tribute to  noble tale. (Nonfiction/Picture book.  6+)