The Forbidden Door

On the smallest star in the sky, in the Valley of the Bao-Bickle tree, live Reena and her parents, who have always resided in a cave. When her mother tells her fabulous stories about a forbidden place called Outside and a golden orb known as Sun, Reena knows she must find the door leading there. Once Outside, however, Reena meets the terrible Okira, a monster who gets her power from beautiful thingsor beautiful people. Reena is a liberatorlike Esther or Joan of Arcbut despite its classic theme, the tale suffers from melodramatic writing and unclear movement. Heyer's elaborately detailed illustrations of fantastic creatures give a baroque feeling; her ogres are wonderful. The intricate details add to the story's dreamlike quality, but cannot compensate for the flaws of the sentimental and wordy narrative. Ages 3-8. (Oct.)