THUNDER FROM THE CLEAR SKY

Sewall's love of New England and its history is expressed again in this account of the year 167576, a companion to The Pilgrims of Plimouth (1986) and People of the Breaking Day (1990). Alternating sections entitled ``A Wampanoag's Story'' and ``A Pilgrim's Story'' offer a balanced presentation of the interactions of cultures, grieving over the tragic decimation of native populations without condemning the anxious pilgrims. Sewall's language rings true; she includes a few brief quotations with the original spelling intact to give a feeling of the period without making the text difficult for young readers. The gouache paintings rival any she has done, as beautiful and grave as the New England setting that inspired them. (map, notes, glossary, bibliography) (Picture book. 7+)