The Canary Prince

The author-illustrator of the highly original Wendell , which was set in a Formica-filled, suburban American home of the 1950s, takes a very different tack in his latest book. Here Nones offers a smooth retelling of an Italian fairy tale featuring a lovely Renaissance princess who is unjustly banished to a remote tower. The plot incorporates a number of classic components of the genre, including a jealous stepmother, benign witch, love-struck prince and a happily-ever-after ending. What raises this tale far above the ordinary are the sumptuous pictures, brimming with lavish period detail. Readers--young and not-so-young--will want to linger over the lush tapestries on the castle wall and the exquisitely patterned clothing, furnishings and page borders. Also impressive is Nones's dramatic use of light and shadow in his art. All ages. (June)