FATHER AND SON

A Haitian poet who's lived in the US since 1968 and an artist whose ``strong family traditions of his Gullah heritage have always been a major influence on his work'' debut in children's books with this paean to the unity between a father and son. At first, as the two work, play, or worship together, the spare text seems simply to describe the activities shown in Green's paintings; but as man and boy move from one site to another near their seaside home, the meaning deepens: they ``Listen/To the same bird song,/And hum/The same melody...The shadow of one/Touching/The shadow of the other,/The mind of one/Sparking/The mind of the other...The soul of one/Knowing/The soul of the other.'' Using bold brush strokes and saturated colors contrasted with intense, dark hues, Green's powerful compositions focus on the two figures moving harmoniously together. A lovely evocation of a companionable and spiritual relationship at its best. (Picture book. 4-8)