Min-Yo and the Moon Dragon

This original creation myth provides a clever explanation for the genesis of the stars. The people of China notice that the moon is sinking lower in the night sky and fear that it will soon crash into the earth. The emperor, on the advice of his wise men, locates Min-Yo, a girl light enough to climb the cobweb staircase to the moon , where she can ask the moon dragon for help. She learns that the moon is weighed down by the many gifts of diamonds presented to the moon dragon over the years. Min-Yo and the dragon relieve the burden by flinging the diamonds into the sky. Though Hillman's writing exhibits an imaginative flair, her text is uneven, reading at some times like an ancient tale, at others like a pat contemporary story. Wallner's watercolor and colored - pencil illustrations contrast muted black-gray skies with the candied hues of a fantasy world. Unfortunately, the paintings' delicate borders--inlaid with floral patterns and men rowing long boats--clash with the interior art and prove distracting. Lisa Desimini's recent How the Stars Fell into the SkyMC: is the following format correct for referring to earlier review?/dd ok now, eed (Children's Forecasts, Mar. 16), based on a Native American legend, offers yet another interpretation of this topic. Ages 4-8. (Mar.)