The Seeds of Peace

In her first children's book, Berkeley spins a rather thin fable with a timeless if well-worn message. An old hermit who lives frugally in a rocky cave that is ""colored by the end of a rainbow"" receives a visit from a young traveler who lives at the opposite end of the rainbow, near a treasure-filled mansion. When the young man asks the hermit what treasures lie at his end of the rainbow, the elderly man responds, ""Peace and happiness."" Later, when the traveler himself moves into the mansion filled with riches, he realizes that he is still unhappy and sends for the hermit, hoping he will bring happiness. Predictably, this doesn't happen, nor does the wealthy man comprehend the hermit's wordy explanation concerning the key to contentment, which may baffle youngsters as well. Ironically, the message of the importance of simplicity gets lost in Berkeley's complicated, text-laden narrative, which ends abruptly and ambiguously. Far more effective is Dexter's (The Blessing Seed) watercolor art, in which the colors seem to flow like a hand-painted silk scarf. The lovely muted palette of teal, rust, deep rose and celadon hues at times resembles stained glass; the paintings almost seem lit from behind. The illustrations offer a fitting balance of the simple and the complex--even if the text does not. Ages 4-12. (Aug.)