Mr. Meredith and the Truly Remarkable Stone

Mr. Meredith trips over an old cracked stone, which appears remarkable to him. He is so enamored of this stone that he invites his friends over to view it. Then he notices that his greenhouse seems too dingy for such an amazing stone, and so he builds a bigger and better one. But no matter how elaborate the setting, Mr. Meredith believes he still has not done the stone justice. His concern persists, even after an entire city has been erected and thousands of people have arrived to see it. A surprising ending gives the stone the setting it deserves, and Mr. Meredith realizes he has inspired a few remarkable events himself. Chetwin, best known for her SF novels, gives the story a chanting, dancing rhythm; Stock comes through with her best work ever. Beginning with simple watercolors, she mixes her media until fabric collage, pencil and paint combine in a dizzying array of texture and shapes; her crowd scenes are an impressionistic fantasy in droplets of color. The story--and the stone--may not be remarkable, but the art sets off the text splendidly. Ages 4-7. (Mar.)