Feathers and Tails

Having won awards for their work individually, husband and wife Kherdian and Hogrogian have combined their talents to create an engrossing, handsomely designed anthology of animal fables, proverbs, riddles and folktales from around the world. Some selections, Grimm's ``The Wolf and the Seven Kids,'' for example, will be familiar; others, such as the Canadian Kutchin Indian tale ``The Stolen Moon'' (which offers a beguiling explanation for the fickle presence of moonlight) will be new to many readers. The collection's only possible shortcoming in the child-appeal department may lie in the fact that, as Kherdian acknowledges, these are by and large ``ancient teaching stories,'' and some of the briefer selections, such as the traditional one from Aesop, sacrifice narrative interest for instructive purposes. But Kherdian's stylish retellings exhibit a satisfying variety, while Hogrogian's graceful illustrations enliven the collection with a sense of play and movement. Each page is framed by a colored border that is mischievously transgressed by such details as flowers, birds' beaks and animals' tails. A brief description of the varied source materials can be found at the back of the book. All ages. (Sept.)