Lottridge (Ticket to Curlew
) lets the stories about Jesus found in the four Gospels of the Bible shine anew in this accessible and entertaining collection. Demonstrating a facility for crafting a fine tale, Lottridge culls and collates key and common elements from the accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John to form a chronological story of Jesus' life, death and resurrection, making all the familiar events sound fresh and of a whole. The clear language and crisp phrasing here allow readers to more closely imagine and understand what the people of Jesus' time may have been thinking and feeling. As a result, these concise and colorful passages are ideal for reading aloud and sharing with the family or a group. Throughout, Wolfsgruber's (Inanna: From the Myths of Ancient Sumer
) sophisticated mixed-media compositions extend the stories' compelling tone. An arresting blend of watercolor, ink and paper collage, they balance a range of surprising textures and distinctive, complex patterns with earth tones and skillful crosshatching. The artist confers a timeless quality on her subjects; at times they have the look of antiquity, elsewhere, their wide eyes and angular noses recall cubism. Text and art seem both of a period and contemporary, sustaining a positive mood and sure to appeal to a broad range of readers. Ages 7-up. (Apr.)
