SACRED RIVER

Lewin continues his world travels (Tiger Trek, Amazon Boy, The Reindeer People, 199094) with a trip to the banks of the Ganges in Benares to observe the pilgrimage of the Hindu faithful who bathe in her waters at dawn. Lewin begins and ends with serene views of the river's mile-wide expanse. In between, with no more than one or two sentences per spread, the text functions as captions to the expansive watercolors, which capture every nuance of the changing light on water and stone as the sky lightens. The complex architecture of ghats, palaces, and temples, and the throngs of boats and brightly clad pilgrims crowd the pages with myriad faces, postures, gestures, and attitudes. While Lewin includes a helpful introductory note, this beautiful book will be appreciated most by those who already have some background in India and Hinduism. A map locating Benares and the Ganges appears on the endpapers. (Picture book/nonfiction. 8-12)