The Silver Treasure: Myths and Legends of the World - Hardcover

High praise for this collection of fables and legends. Perhaps some of the stories are more familiar to British audiences, but many of them will be delightfully new to Americans. The international flavor of Russian, Bolivian, Japanese and Inuit legends is fascinating. Nigel Lambert treats each story to an individualized performance. His thoughtful characterizations, exaggerated or respectful as appropriate, combine with astute timing and his obvious interest in the literature. Combining the storyteller's approach with careful treatment of the history and the legends, Lambert provides entertainment for listeners of many ages. This program should be collected and cherished for the silver and gold of many happy listenings. R.F.W. Winner of AUDIOFILE's Earphones Award (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

A lovely companion volume to The Golden Hoard (1996), with 23 myths, legends, and stories--some familiar, others less so- -from a wide variety of cultures. McCaughrean retells the stories of the Tower of Babel, King Arthur's death, and Rip Van Winkle, among others; also included is a Kenyan myth about ``The Men in the Moon,'' a Hawaiian tale called ``The Pig Goes Courting'' about the battle between a pig-god and a volcano goddess, and an Irish story of the origins of the little people known as the fairies of Ireland. The prose often approaches poetry: King Arthur's ``barge moved silently out across the lake, to be swallowed up by scarves of mist, curtains of diaphanous moonlight, hangings of velvet night.'' A Russian story, ``Babushka,'' is particularly affecting, but all are ideal for bedtime or reading aloud. The illustrations are less successful: Willey's palette is vivid, often to the point of garishness, and many of the characters have brash scarlet cheeks and resemble dolls with too much rouge. Endnotes on the stories are more arbitrary than useful, but the resonant retellings make this a valuable collection. (Folklore. 10+) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.