KHERDIAN, David, retel. The Golden Bracelet. illus. by Nonny Hogrogian. unpaged. CIP. Holiday House. 1998. RTE $16.95. ISBN 0-8234-1362-4. LC 95-25051.

Gr 2-5-In true folklore fashion, love blossoms from a chance encounter when tiffany jewelry carefree young prince Haig meets the shepherd’s daughter Anahid She warns the prince that everyone should have a skill no matter who they are.” She calls this skill a “Golden Bracelet” that stays with its possessor forever. To win the young woman’s hand, Haig gives up his self-absorbed adventuring and becomes a master weaver. Anahid consents to marry him when she receives a beautiful golden cloth that he himself has woven. After many years of ruling happily as king and queen, the couple is separated when an evil sorcerer kidnaps Haig. The king must then use his weaving skills to trick the sorcerer and warn Anahid of his fate. She leads a battalion of soldiers to rescue him, following the directions he has woven into a tapestry. This story is based on an Armenian folktale, which, as the author notes, emphasizes the importance of craft and common sense in negotiating the pitfalls of life. Though told in a traditional style, the story presents an interesting twist in valuing Anahid’s action over Haig’s privilege. Hogrogrian’s watercolors are done in a primitive folk-art style with brilliant use of warm colors and energetic figures that occasionally spill out over their frames. Though the text focuses on Haig’s adventures, the illustrations show Anahid to be brave, beautiful, and intelligent. An entertaining tale of love and wisdom.-Joan Zaleski, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY