Stories from Firefly Island

This collection of fables combines the wisdom of Aesop with the comfort and satisfaction of good storytelling. Narrated by the venerable tortoise who presides over the mythical Firefly Island, each chapter tells a different animal's story. ``The Cave of the Cold Wind'' explains why the bear no longer lives among the island animals but enjoys the cooler winds of the mountain tops. The star of ``Brave Pig'' is tricked by the other animals into becoming a humbler and kinder character. In the ``Rizzleberry War'' the animals learn to trust one another when a treasured tree is mysteriously stripped of its fruit. Though a moral is tucked neatly into each of the tales, the messages never overpower the narrative. Told in rhythmic lilting language, the tales are accompanied by Blathwayt's delicate line drawings. Ages 4-up. (Oct.)