PETER AND THE WOLF

There have been many fine editions of Prokofiev's ``orchestral fairy tale'' since the first one (1940), which was elegantly illustrated by calligrapher Warren Chappell; Lemieux's is a worthy addition to this distinguished company. Using oils applied to pick up the texture of her canvas and a palette of blues, sunshine yellow, brick, and a keynote forest green, she creates boldly decorative scenes, inducing tension with dramatic points of view and providing just a few details of costume, facial types, etc., to give a Russian flavor. The narrative is straightforward and acceptable; the link with the musical composition is noted in a brief introduction and an accompanying illustration with the characters playing the instruments that represent them. Handsome. (Picture book. 3+)