THE FIREBIRD

This is not the story made familiar by the ballet, but a related tale in which the firebird figures mostly at the outset, when one of its feathers is found by a huntsman who presents it to his king—a tyrant whose response is to send the poor fellow off to fetch the bird, which he is able to do with the advice of his admirable talking horse. But the huntsman's success only stimulates the king's greed, and he sends the man on mission after mission (a princess; her wedding dress), with dire threats in case of failure. Finally, the king's scheme to kill the huntsman backfires, the king dies in his stead, and the huntsman gets the princess. Hastings's brisk, lightly quizzical retelling is engagingly complemented by Cartwright's boldly stylized art. His statuesque figures are amusingly at odds with their lantern- jawed, large-nosed faces; the collage-like arrangements of areas of vibrant color are especially appropriate for groups. A lively addition to folklore collections. (Folklore/Picture book. 5-10)