The Legend of William Tell

Small's lilting, rhymed verse and lavish illustrations distinguish this retelling of the legend featuring a skilled marksman who triumphs over a cruel tyrant. Ruling ``with a fist of iron and a heart of stone,'' Gessler the Black terrifies the inhabitants of a peaceful Swiss village. They take to their homes, refusing to enter the town square, where Gessler has mounted his cap on a pole and decreed that all who pass by must kneel to it. When William Tell visits the town and defies Gessler's order, the villain orders the woodsman to shoot an arrow at an apple placed on top of his son's head. Printed on simulated parchment pages, Small's vivid text is framed by elegant borders. Though somewhat weak in facial details, his brightly hued paintings are filled with period touches that convey the drama of this classic tale. Ages 4-8. ( Apr. )