The Hunter

Geraghty's (Stop That Noise!) latest picture book seamlessly blends evocative writing and arresting images into a harmonious whole. His luminous paintings, so clear they often suggest photographs, deftly depict the animal inhabitants and lush vegetation of the African bush, as well as the resplendent gold, rose and midnight-blue shades of the changing skies. No less impressive is the carefully chosen language and phraseology-by turns dramatic, touching and melancholy-in this tale of Jamina, a girl who aspires to be a hunter. One day, while pretending to hunt, she gets separated from her grandfather. Wandering into the bush, the child encounters a baby elephant whose mother has been killed by poachers. After braving a rainstorm and narrowly avoiding crocodiles and poachers, Jamina and the animal eventually come upon an elephant herd, and the girl gives up her friend: ``Take this little one, and keep him safe.'' By the time Jamina's mother finds her ``by the first light of dawn,'' the child has changed her aspiration. Despite the credibiity gap inherent in Jamina's ability to commune with wild animals, this is an affecting, gently told story with a resounding message. Ages 4-8. (Aug.)