Eric Carle's Treasury of Classic Stories for Children by Aesop, Hans Christian Andersen, and the Brothers Grimm

This volume contains reprints from three of Carle's previous books. But in collapsing the longer tales, some of the original focus of the stories is blurred. Even in works as brief as Aesop's fables, the pacing is flat. But that is a small flaw compared to the artist's visual triumphs. The blended collage and paint pictures gleam with color and beauty, reflecting accurately the motif of each story. For example, there is dramatic tension in Andersen's ``The Wild Swans'' and other cliff-hangers and knee-slapping comedy in the Grimms' ``The Seven Swabians.'' Signs of Carle's ingenuity adorn every page. Ages 4-9. (April)