Mr. Meredith and the Truly Remarkable Stone

Things get out of hand when Mr. Meredith decides to exhibit the remarkable stone that he had found and his schemes become grander and grander

Grade 2-3-- Young Mr. Meredith stumbles over a stone one day, and likes it so much that he takes it home, where he rearranges his greenhouse to make a proper setting for it, and then invites friends in to party and to admire. This sets off an ever grander series of renovations and celebrations, in the course of which the stone is forgotten. Finally, Mr. Meredith, now old, stumbles across it again, and gives it a place on his windowsill. The soft-hued watercolors keep pace with the appreciating real estate, adding color and collage as matters escalate, then reverting to gray with the stone's rediscovery. Both the story and the pictures, however, are static, despite their opulent detail. The use of repetition as a story peg and as a device to involve readers works best when the repeated phrases have something lilting or catchy about them, and that does not happen here. There are some resemblances to The Fisherman and His Wife and to The Hedley Kow , but the transforming power of this stone is not direct, magical, or useful. The story ends as it began, and so does Mr. Meredith. Both his motive and his reward are unclear; more happens to his surroundings than to him, with the result that the whole resounds of "Ozymandias." --Karen Litton, London Public Libraries, Ontario, Canada
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Mr. Meredith trips over an old cracked stone, which appears remarkable to him. He is so enamored of this stone that he invites his friends over to view it. Then he notices that his greenhouse seems too dingy for such an amazing stone, and so he builds a bigger and better one. But no matter how elaborate the setting, Mr. Meredith believes he still has not done the stone justice. His concern persists, even after an entire city has been erected and thousands of people have arrived to see it. A surprising ending gives the stone the setting it deserves, and Mr. Meredith realizes he has inspired a few remarkable events himself. Chetwin, best known for her SF novels, gives the story a chanting, dancing rhythm; Stock comes through with her best work ever. Beginning with simple watercolors, she mixes her media until fabric collage, pencil and paint combine in a dizzying array of texture and shapes; her crowd scenes are an impressionistic fantasy in droplets of color. The story--and the stone--may not be remarkable, but the art sets off the text splendidly. Ages 4-7.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.