Moss Gown

This delightful retelling of a North Carolina folktale weaves together motifs found in Cinderella and King Lear. A foolish gentleman disowns his youngest daughter when she says plainly, ""Father, I love you more than meat loves salt.'' Cast out, Candace becomes a servant and wears a magical moss gown made by a ``slender green-eyed witch woman'' who acts as her fairy godmother. By story's end Candace has won the heart of the Young Master at the ball and been reunited with her father, who has learned to appreciate her simple but genuine love. Carrick's landscapes, filled with gnarled branches and swamps, eerie moonlight and fireflies, beautifully capture the mood of the eloquent and enchanting story. Ages 59-. (April)