The Tale I Told Sasha
Kindergarten-Grade 3This picture book is a paean to a childs imagination. A young girl follows her mothers gift of a yellow ball through the face of a mantel clock into a world where winged travelers must walk./All those with wheels get to ride. Logic and sequence are forgotten in this lyrical journey where a door opens softly as an egg to reveal a farmer planting the yellow ball for a harvest of golden things. Lost objects are founda dropped needle and a card, pennies and puzzle pieces, and the stars and sheep/my mother counts to fall asleep. Finally, a steamship sails into view on a painted sea, manned by the farmer, now the King of Keys, who tosses the yellow ball back into the reality of the childs home. The books title suggests its origin as a piece written by Willard for her daughter, and the lyrical, cadenced sound of her poetry may bring pleasure. However, the fantasy moves through a series of images like a stream of consciousness without meaning or logic. Christianas dreamy, full-page watercolor illustrations reflect the kaleidoscopic images of the poem and appeal to the eye, but the book will be difficult for most readers.Shirley Wilton, Ocean County College, Toms River, NJCopyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.