The Village of Basketeers

Newcomer Rymond riffs on popular lore in this enticingly illustrated tale of seaside villagers who attempt to saddle the wind. Everyone in young Kip and Elsa's town weaves baskets from reeds, but a growing wind disrupts their peaceful existence. Parents must fill their pockets with stones and tie down their children; even so, young Elsa ""sailed up like a kite on a string."" Ceccoli (The Faerie's Gift) injects just the right amount of humor as she shows a slightly tilted world in which a couple looks on with their pink and blue pets, attempting to pull the girl and her inflated skirt back to earth. The villagers accept the unusual occurrences with deadpan humor: as they head to a town meeting, ""they stopped to tie the cats and dogs to the horses-the wind was that strong."" Animals in silhouette on the right-hand page cross into the full-bleed painting on the left, tethered together like a bonded game of tug of war. Various villagers offer solutions (one weaves a wind-trap, another weaves ""a barn big as a mountain""), but it's the children who triumph. Kip and Elsa weave a tiny basket and line it with ""down feathers and lamb's wool,"" which has a soporific effect. The wind, personified in an ""S"" shape with a friendly face, comes close to ""see the basket clearly,"" and falls asleep. Ages 4-8.