UNDER THE MOON

From a British storyteller's repertoire, three stories to tell or read aloud—graceful morality tales about busyness vs companionability, the perils of disobedience, and making altruistic use of ``luck.'' In the title story, a workaholic ``old woman tossed in a basket'' sweeps cobwebs from the sky for the wispy, whispery man in the moon. ``Little Ivan'' is an adaptation of an Eastern European tale of a heedless boy who, tricked by Old Mother Wolf, is rescued by his clever grandmother with the help of a children's band (with plenty of opportunity for audience-supplied sound effects). In ``The Apple Child,'' the well-being of a village is at stake when a nurturing spirit contends with the forces of decay, personified as an ``elder bogle.'' French adheres to the satisfying fairy-tale convention of grouping events into threes. Her dialogue is marked by repetition and delightful snippets of colloquial speech; opening and closing paragraphs are models of artistry, echoing imagery and phrasing while contrasting moods to emphasize happy endings. The outlook is commendably positive and humane; characters move from separation to connection with lots of shivery moments but no violence. Fisher's pen drawings are as timeless, quirky, and lively as the tales. An enchanting trio. (Fiction. 5-8)