A PIECE OF LUCK

A man finds what looks like a lump of gold, but actually it's luck--which he treasures and hoards until people are ""sick of the sight of him."" Still, the man is greedy, trundling his growing luck in a cart until it tumbles off the hill where he's taken it for safekeeping The pieces of good luck scatter through the village below, where others find them, but the man himself finds only one that's ""quite rotten."" Henwood neatly incorporates familiar phrases about luck into his simple narrative, but his illustrations are the most interesting feature here. Large format, boldly outlined shapes, flat areas of surprising but pleasing color, and subtly expressive faces combine to create a unique flavor. (Cavil: the gutter in the final double spread is most unfortunately placed.) This should provoke some lively discussion.