CHILDREN OF WAX

One of two collections initiating the ``International Folk Tale'' series. These 27 stories, collected in Matabeleland, Zimbabwe, and briskly rendered from the author's own transcriptions, are evocative, involving narratives that reveal much about the culture from which they spring. Both this collection and The Sun Maiden and the Crescent Moon (Siberian folk tales as told by James Riordan) include introductions discussing the role of folk tales in their respective societies and retell some of them with authenticity as the principle priority. Thus both books are of primary interest to storytellers rather than to children, though older children will find much that is interesting and original here. A secondary purchase for children's use; a treasure trove for all those who value folk literature presented with respect and scrupulous care. (Folklore. 12+)