THE SIMPLE PEOPLE

The ``simple people''—depicted in Shachat's glowing mixed- media art as adult males whose pink, almost hairless heads constitute more than half their bulk—live happily, singing songs and eating fruit, until a serpent intrudes in the form of a first invention: Node makes a frame to look through. Intrigued, Bog organizes the others to build it a support that escalates to a wall that curves to meet itself and receive a roof; meanwhile, crews are formed, specialties established, managers appointed. When the original aperture is covered by a zealous worker, the people are left in the smoky dark, where they finally notice that they aren't thriving. It's Node who unearths his window and helps them all escape to return to their former Eden. Simplistic and heavy-handed, but in the spirit of real contemporary concerns—a book that could contribute to thoughtful discussion. (Picture book. 4-9)