The Green Activity Book

Three young saplings on a mountaintop each make a wish. One dreams of being the most beautiful treasure chest in the world, while another longs to be a strong sailing ship and carry powerful kings across the sea. The third tree doesn't want to leave the grove at all--it yearns to grow so tall that people will look at it and think of God. The trees' wishes are granted, although not in the way that they had imagined. Instead, each tree unwittingly plays a role in the life of Jesus--the first as the feedbox that shelters him as a baby in Bethlehem, the second as the simple fishing boat that carries him when he stills the storm, and the third as the cross on which he is crucified. Hunt conveys this traditional Christian folktale's message with dignity, and Jonke's dark, dramatic pictures have the powerful grace of a New Deal muralist. The brooding intensity of the artist's palette together with his use of large bold images provide stirring accompaniment to a moving story. Ages 4-up. (Oct.)