BIRDS OF A FEATHER

Paxton and Rayevsky add a fourth to their well-received Aesops with ten more tales in verse, with a good balance between the familiar (``The Wind and the Sun'') and the less so (``The Cat and the Fox''; ``The Cock and the Pearl''). Paxton's phrasing is sometimes awkwardly contrived to accommodate his meter, but, generally, his amusingly clever rhymes and neatly rounded conclusions enliven the stories and their morals. Rayevsky's fascinating gallery of characters is outstanding, silhouetted on white or against settings of deep tones, such as a rich brown, so that their luminous colors glow as if from a dark, dramatically lit stage. Human or animal, they're in three-dimensional detail with garments and lanky physiques of enormous elegance; yet they are caricatured with an incisive satirical wit perfectly in tune with the fables. A beautiful, welcome addition. (Folklore/Picture book. 5+)