MARY

A strongly religious book featuring 15 scenes from the life of Mary. Each is introduced by an antiphon from the Benedictine Breviary and a simplified, but accurate, retelling of the biblical account. Inspired by Giotto's frescoes in Padua, Italy, dePaola (The Legend of the Poinsettia, 1994, etc.) approaches his material with reverence and something akin to a child's awe for the Bible's mysteries. The illustrations, with their warm colors and thick paint, have a Mediterranean feel. They feature simple, classical- looking buildings and clothes, and faces the color of terra-cotta and travertine. The round-faced, dark-haired figures, with beatific expressions on their faces, are grouped in center-heavy, solemn arrangements. One large scene appears on the righthand pages, with a smaller scene appearing either directly beneath it, or on the lefthand page. The interesting conceit behind these illustrationsto take children's book figures and place them in formal icon-like posesworks well. (Picture book. 4-8)