In the Rainfield

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Grifalconi's (The Village of Round and Square Houses) surreal collages explode across the pages of this eye-popping book, layering photographs and cut-paper images against a whirling, swirling backdrop worthy of the credit sequence to a James Bond film. The result is highly kinetic, a mesmerizing foil to a Nigerian folktale about an argument between Wind, Fire and Rain. The three elements--characterized as two men and a woman--squabble over who is greatest and finally hold a contest to determine the mightiest of all. Wind howls, Fire rages, but Rain wins, vanquishing her rivals with a downpour that demonstrates her credo, "The greatest must be the gentlest." Olaleye's (Bitter Bananas) prose is sleek and limber, and peppered with African words and phrases ("Village children huffed and puffed, kia kia, kata-kiti, running from the wind"). The language gains extra texture from judicious use of alliteration ("Fire fumed with great fury"). The energy of the folktale is whipped up in Grifalconi's collages, where marbled-paper backdrops (enlarged to set off their exotically curving patterns) provide a '60s-ish psychedelic effect. Between the tempestuous story line and the electrifying art, this is one wild ride from beginning to end. Ages 4-9. (Feb.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

Children's Literature - Children's Literature

Wind, rain, fire--which is the greatest? It's the perfect question for a legend and this one comes from Isaac Olaleye's native Nigeria. As short and simple as the story is, there is time for a competition, a winner and a moral. After wind and fire unleash their fury, the legend concludes that "rain is the greatest! The gentlest is the greatest!" The greatest of all, though, is truly the exquisite artistry of illustrator Ann Grifalconi. Marbled backgrounds swirl around each page in fiery reds or watery blues. Photographs of people are pasted on top, fleeing the fire or perched in trees where the shrill wind left them. Finally, purple rain drips steadily over everything, causing wind to follow her everywhere and fire to hiss "Rain is the greatest. And Fire still makes a hissing noise whenever water is poured upon it." The imagination in both the story and the mixed-media pictures could inspire both youngsters who don't like to draw or those who just want to create their own stories to explain natural phenomena. 2000, Blue Sky Press/Scholastic, Ages 4 to 8, $16.95. Reviewer: Karen Leggett