ROBIN HOOD

Early (Sleeping Beauty, 1993, etc.) now adds the tales of Sir Robin to her artistic retellings of classics. Robin Hood and his merry men are portrayed with all the detail of small painted lead soldiers, accurate in form, if not totally in spirit. In the manner of an extravagantly illuminated manuscript, each familiar tale is accompanied by an exquisite illustration. The palette of scarlet, royal blue, purple, and green, and a prudent use of gold leaf, create a sumptuous sense of the Middle Ages. While Early successfully captures the feel of medieval miniatures, the characters' personalities and occasionally the illustrative narrative are sacrificed for details. For example, the illustration for the tale ``The Silver Arrow'' shows everything— the archer, the reactive crowd—but the argent missile itself. The text is perfunctory, lacking personality. Read this copy indoors with velvet gloves on, and save Howard Pyle's classic telling to read outside under the trees. (Picture book/folklore. 10+)