THE RING
by Lisa Maizlish
The Ring ($15.00; May 1996; 24 pp.; 0-688-14217-6): In Maizlish's stylish first book, a wordless and stunning series of digitally enhanced photographs communicates the story of how a yellow plastic ring transforms a little boy's boring, gravity- bound, black-and-white autumn day into a soaring, summertime, full- color flight of imagination. As he is lifted into the air, his shoes and scarf fall away and soon he is soaring over the Empire State Building and whisking past the nose of the Statue of Liberty. After his landing, he leaves the ring behind, where a little girl is about to discover its gifts. A simple concept amplified mightily by artistry in league with technology. (Picture book. 4+)