Tower to Heaven

In a winning follow-up to Two Ways to Count to Ten , Dee has teamed up with talented illustrator Bent ( Calypso Alphabet ) to reinterpret a spirited West African tale. When Onyankopon, the Sky God, retreats into the upper reaches of the heavens in order to escape old Yaa's incessant, absent-minded chatter and mortar-pounding, something must be done. After much thought, the busybody determines that the village must ``build a tower that will reach all the way up to heaven.'' Then, if the villagers want to speak to Onyankopon, all they need do is climb up. Unfortunately the tower, built of mortars piled on the top of the tallest mountain, is, to this day, one mortar short. Yaa still stands atop the tower, nattering to the Sky God and calling for ``one more mortar!'' Youngsters will warm to the story's sly humor enlivened by boldly defined and vividly colored primitive art. Ages 4-7. (May)