THE ANGEL AND THE CHILD

An unusual meditation on a brief series of events concerning a small angel on earth. The angel plays the concertina, plants a tree, meets a child, and gives the child a gift. While he does so, readers consider, among other things, the distinctions and affiliations between the presumed experience of an angel and that of a child, the meaning of the varied objects found in a pocket, and the nature of birdsong. The book requires readers to start to think about each spread as a separate chapter with its own questions and observations. With cartoon angels on color-washed backgrounds full of enlightening details, the book may not be profound, but it touches upon some of the fascinations and curiosities of angels that remain of enduring interest to young and old alike. Unusual and thought-provoking. (Picture book. 5-8)