The Fog's Net

Firmly rooted in fairy-tale tradition, this fresh and atmospheric story celebrates the courage of a resourceful heroine. Orphaned Devora, a weaver, lives in a village by the sea, where a savage, creeping fog swallows boats and people. One night the fog comes to her door and threatens to take her brother if she doesn't weave it a new net. When Devora hesitates, the fog promises that ``I'll not touch you, nor yours, nor any that you favor.'' The fog breaks the bargain, of course, but clever Devora has tied her baby sister's toy bell to a corner of the net and uses it to find and rescue her brother and the other villagers. In a dramatic climax, she burns the fog's net, banishing the fog from the village forever. Pflieger's first picture book shines with lyrical, polished prose, and its leisurely cadence and slightly formal syntax give it a timeless quality. Gamper's (Grandfather's Rock) misty, moody illustrations, subtly colored and particularly notable for their strength and fluidity of line, are an evocative complement. Ages 4-8. (Sept.)