THE HAPPY PRINCE
by Oscar Wilde & illustrated by Jane Ray
Ray takes inspiration from the well-known fairytale, wherein a prince is raised in splendid, protective surroundings. He grows old and dies without ever seeing the misery endured by the people of his city: ignorance is bliss. Only from the leaden perch of the statue raised in his honor can the prince comprehend the truth. Wilde gets fair handling in this adaptation, but curiously, some of the poignancy is lost. Still, this is a wonderful tribute to the importance of compassion. Ray's paintings—sometimes baroque and glittering with gold, other times stiff Egyptian vistas, still other times bleak, Dickensian scenes—are transporting. (Picture book. 4+)