THE NIGHTINGALE
adapted by Michael Bedard & illustrated by Regolo Ricci
An elegantly presented edition of a favorite Andersen story with artfully composed paintings, rich in Chinese detail, receding into the background behind vertical bars of text pulled down like golden window shades. The text is a slightly abridged new translation rather than a ``retelling''; it's not unacceptable, but it lacks the original's lively, irreverent satire, as do the earnestly overformal illustrations. And why not credit the true author on the title page? (He is mentioned on both the verso and the jacket, but LC's main entry is Bedard, which will cause a problem for libraries that care—as they should.) (Picture book. 5-10)