" 22 Terrace Review — Wednesday, December 13, 1989: Young Readers by Andrea Deakin . : Two striking Christmas books for young children have come from Oxford this year. Brian Wildsmith offers a glowing story about a small child and a donkey who see the Christmas story unfold. a _ yO . A little donkey misses its mother, who has taken Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem. Young Rebecca decides to take it on the same journey. They just iniss the wise men at. Herod’s palace; see the shepherds in the fields; and are directed to the manger by the innkeeper. The little donkey joins the Family on the flight into Egypt, while Rebecca returns home on the back of a king’s camel, . There is brilliant use of illustrative techniques here. Brian Wildsmith gives us his familiar glowing pattern and color, plus some subtle shading of snowflakes on snow and scintillating use of gold in the dominant star, the highly decorative and patterned angle, and one striking illustration of Herod’s gold palace against the azure backdrop. The one moment of reality is shown in the door open to the child. The flight into Egypt is rich with the pat- tern and color of the king’s retinue, but the star over the humble Family dominates the page. A Christmas Story by Brian Wildsmith is published by Oxford at $17.50. William Stobbs offers a version of the carol Good King Wenceslas. Here are pictures which fill and overflow the pages with vigor and color, The contrast between the wealth of the king and the poverty of the peasant are produced as much by color as by detail. Gold is again used lavishly to. color the king’s court, decorate the flame angel who flies with Wenceslas and his page, and warm gold surrounds the king’s footsteps as the page treads _.in them, Good King Wenceslas is published by Oxford at $17.50. It was Christmas Eve in the town and the surrounding country- ” side. At twelve a message is heard, coming in the wind in the trees, humming through wires and interrupting dreams. Agegres- sion is everywhere. The fox creeps up on the hens, the wolf on the sheep, the dog snarls at the cat, the cat prowls after the mouse, and the general in bed dreams of war, while his model soldiers are drawn up in array. As the church clock strikes, the message is heard and one by _ one the animals. and men too ask, Can It Be True?. One by one they leave their fighting, and hunting, and chasing to make their way to a stable where they discover that it is true. Susan Hill’s text for Can It Be True? is a simple, highly effective prose poem and Angela Barrett has illustrated it with subtle controlled paint- ings which elaborate and expand the simple text. Can It Be True? . is a handsome and poignant production for Christmas. It is published by Penguin at $16.95. In 1988 Jan Thornhill gave us a beautifully designed Wildlife ABC. This year she has roamed the world in her handsome, equally well-designed Wildlife 123, There is one panda munching bamboo in China, nine sparrows feeding from a trough outside a kitchen window, ten mountain goats leaping through the Rockies, or 20 tropical fish swimming amongst the coral. Each animal, — bird or insect, is shown in its habitat, and each bold colorful il- lustration is bordered with a band showing other characteristics of the species. At the end are, once again, brief nature notes to help parents answer all those questions. The Wildlife 123 is published by Greey de Pencier at $16.95. Robin Muller has given children another magical tale this Christmas. Nib, a poor orphan, longs above all to be an artist. He wants to paint pictures so real that people will believe they are alive. With scraps of paper and burnt ends of charcoal, he tries to capture the world he sees. One day he saves an old man from some roughs who are beating him, In gratitude the old man gives him a paintbrush and colors which can bring pictures to life. The old man tells him, ‘6As long as Nib sees with his eyes the paintbrush will help him. But one day he will learn to see with his heart and then he will have no need of it.” His joy in the gift is soon turned to anguish. The greedy king discovers the boy’s gift, and orders Nib to paint only for him. The boy escapes, but travelling the country he becomes aware of pollution, cruelty and injustice. He returns to the city to find his friends, but is. captured by the king. Nib. wins out, but his final victory is to rid himself of his brushes and see with his heart. - Robin Muller uses his deep muted palette — gold, lavender, jade. Light is used dramatically, ) his gift, in the golden egg which signifies the king’s greed, in the glow from the tip of the paintbrush. There are some interesting details to search too — Toulouse-Lautrec, Van Gogh and Gauguin are in the boy’s town, In all, this is an intriguing com- bination of text and illustration to convey not only the drama of the story, but also ethical comment. The Magical Paintbrush is published by Doubleday at $14.95. 0 . A course of action for the Terraceview Supportive Housing Complex has now __ been set. In a letter to Terrace city -.council, regional director of Crown Lands J.R. Yardley ‘. gays that once they have re- ceived confirmation the city has commissioned the survey . ferred by Terrace city council to ‘committee or some other agency to point the boy’s innocence and. | of the land and title will : revert to the Crown, .an.. Housing ‘complex moving ahead. |. survey plan, a completed .. wo _ Crown land application with the $50 fee, payment of a. ~ $150.Crown Grand adminis- | tration fee, the payment of . any property ‘purchase tax - due, and a completed Land . Title Act declaration pro- - viding the citizenship status of. the directors of the so- | eo : ciety. . |e Order-in-Council will be pre- pared that will recommend a . Free Crown Grant be issued ‘to the Terrace-Health Care Society, ~ Preliminary requirements of the society as outlined by.. Yardley include that they submit'a copy of the legal City coun The following items were re- Monday night for further study and a recommendation. Council - committee meetings are normal- ly open to the public and you may attend if interested. For more information, phone depu- ty administrator Denise Fisher at 635-6311. cil committee work event, This will be a part of the 1990 budget deliberations and the question to be addressed is whether the city should assume a greater role in the organization, financing and coordination of this event. ‘Other referrals: (1)