SKY LEGENDS OF VIETNAM

In her third collection of Vietnamese folklore, Vuong retells six tales of the sun, moon, and stars, introducing the Taoist mythology of the fairies—heavenly immortals ruled by the Jade Emperor—who break their own laws to become involved with humans. ``The Weaver Fairy and the Buffalo Boy'' is a variation of a familiar tale explaining the Milky Way; ``The Seven Weavers'' is about the Pleiades. The uniquely Vietnamese ``The Miraculous Banyan Tree'' explains why Vietnamese children see the face of Cuoi and his tree on the surface of the moon; a popular children's song about this legend is also included. In her informative introduction and notes, Vuong cites Vietnamese- language sources and provides cultural background. A concluding section describes Vietnamese pronunciation in general and gives pronunciations and translations of names used in the stories. An engaging collection, with appropriately brooding b&w illustrations. (Folklore. 9+)