The Golden Bracelet

This rendition of an old Armenian tale about the necessity of having a vocation by husband-and-wife team Kherdian and Hogrogian (Toad and the Green Prince) lacks conviction. Prince Haig and his companion Vartan ride contentedly ""across the countryside, laughing, singing, and harmlessly bantering,"" until Haig falls in love with Anahid, a beautiful peasant girl. She tells him they cannot marry until he learns a trade, a skill that people in her village call a ""Golden Bracelet."" Thus Haig becomes a master weaver of gold cloth and marries Anahid. When the sorcerer Zilnago later captures Haig, the nobleman communicates his whereabouts to his bride by weaving into a cloth the design of a Golden Bracelet, along with a map and message. While Hogrogian's appealing painting of the festive wedding celebration conveys energy, most of the illustrations, despite the intricate Armenian designs, are static. The artwork combined with the stilted language (e.g., ""They rode home in procession, knowing they would rule wisely and well, with knowledge of their people, and with an undying devotion to one another, as well as for their sacred land"") and meandering exposition of the plot are offputting. For a more compelling take on the tale, try Robert D. San Souci's A Weave of Words, illus. by Ra l Col n (Children's Forecasts, Jan. 26). Ages 7-10. (May)