The Hall of Beasts

In the opening pages of Shasha's ( Night of the Moonjellies ) second offering, a knowing old man leads his trusting granddaughter across ``a lonely stretch of beach,'' through the ``salty wind,'' to an old, abandoned inn once owned by a sea captain. The shorefront hotel, formerly celebrated for its magically lifelike mural of woodland creatures, has fallen into ruin and is about to be torn down. Unfortunately, following an introduction ripe with possibilities, Shasha's story loses its momentum: after learning that the painter of the mural has said, ``The animals must never be abandoned . . . or they will vanish at the first light of day,'' the reader will easily anticipate the course of the narrative. The absence of suspense instantly lowers expectations. Nor does the artwork fully deliver. The jacket image, with its foreboding shadows and spooky lettering, is far more atmospheric than the majority of the airy, pastel illustrations. Ages 4-7. Children's BOMC alternate selection. (June)