The Sandman Presents: Taller Tales
Like his guilty pleasure par excellence,Fables(seeLegends in Exile[BKL F 1 03] andAnimal Farm[BKL O 1 03]), the stories gathered here are spin-offs of Neil Gaiman's Sandman series. All feature characters from the Dreaming, the gestalt full of ancient deities and spirits, fairy-tale folk, and other superhuman beings that Gaiman created. The first story stars Merv Pumpkinhead, an animated scarecrow who is janitor at the lord of dreams' palaceandan intrepid James Bond-type investigator, at least by his lights. The second discloses Sandman heir-apparent Danny Nod in his youthful avocation as overdues retriever for the Library of Dream. The next, four-part-long story features Thessaly, last of the Thessalian witches, facing down some minor death-deities. The concluding entry is a bag of short-shorts answering "Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Dreams . . . but Were Afraid to Ask." Long, short, or short-short, each all-color piece is delightful, though library types may like Danny Nod's adventures, made all the better by switching artists every few pages, the best.Ray OlsonCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved