Swan Sky

Told with elegant simplicity and illustrated with stunning woodcuts, Tejima's books have a distinctive look. The same remarkable qualities inherent in Owl Lake and Fox's Dream can be found in this new one. The opening pages show a half-frozen lake surrounded by snowcapped mountains gleaming under an azure sky. A flock of wild swans prepares to migrate north for the summer, their powerful wings flapping as they skid across the water and into airborne formation. One swan does not join the others and soon dies while her family stays near her. The harsh reality of the swan's death is tempered by a radiant sunburst over clouds that form the shape of a swan with outstretched wings, and by the onset of a new season for all the flock. The poignant cries of the swan's family and the ice-blue pictures leave a vivid impression. Ages 4-7. (October)