GAWAIN AND THE GREEN KNIGHT

Gawain, youngest of King Arthur's knights, is tired of the fibbing his inexperience elicits from the others at the Round Table. A bit precipitately be accepts a challenge from the colossal and horrid Green Knight of the North Country: an exchange of axe blows to the neck, Gawain to go first, the Green Knight to follow if he survives. Needless to say, he does, and he graces Gawain a year and a day, at which time Gawain must go to the North Country to meet his fate. This wonderful Celtic tale, a celebration of passion and honesty and courage, is given a decent retelling by arts journalist Mark Shannon, targeted at a much younger audience than the complete version. David Shannon's illustrations are technically impressive -- with their deep shadows and blurred lines -- but are too soft and moody to fit the reduced text. The text and paintings may be slightly odd fellows, but the story shines through, never to grow old.