The Flying Ship

A simpleton sets out to win the hand of a princess in this classic Russian fairy tale. When the king promises to wed his daughter to ``whoever should build a ship that could fly,'' a dim fellow tries his luck and, after his kindness to a little old man, he stumbles upon just such a vehicle. He meets a handful of travelers en route to the king's court, and invites them aboard; their extraordinary skills and possessions later help him fulfill the seemingly impossible tasks the king demands of the would-be groom. Although the captivating painting on the cover raises expectations for McDermott's (Oom Razoom) work, the art as a whole is wan compared with Christopher Denise's stately The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship (1994) or Uri Shulevitz's sprightly 1968 Caldecott-winning rendition. McDermott's large-scale illustrations incorporate some whimsical touches and a palette that glows gently, but they often take on an overly precious quality--particularly in the depiction of the hero and his soon-to-be bride, neither of whom appears to be any older than 10. Ages 7-up. (Aug.)