From Publishers Weekly:
Based loosely on the Old Testament mention of Adam naming the creatures of the earth, this biblically themed picture book surprises somewhat with the unexpected appearance of a unicorn at its conclusion. Shades of Noah, the animals appear two by two before Adam (discreetly if somewhat unusually clothed in a multicolored, calf-length skirt of leaves), who blesses them and bestows occasionally fulsome explanations for his choice of name ("Rabbit is furriness, Rabbit is the joy of spring mornings, Rabbit is shyness, Rabbit can read the wind"). Greaves's smooth prose possesses the dignified cadence of myth, and at times becomes rhapsodic--her description of the unicorn ("You are the secret beauty that haunts all dreams") will thrill fans of that legendary beast. (In her composition and vocabulary, however--"vexation," "meteor," "timidity"--Greaves may stretch the understanding of the book's intended audience.) Baynes, whose lush, meticulous illustrations were inspired by an ancient Rajput manuscript, presents Eden's splendor as a subtropical landscape blooming with a bright profusion of trees, flowers and--of course--animals of every persuasion. Ages 3-7.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Kirkus Reviews:
In pairs, the animals come for their names, each kind also receiving an appropriate litany of traits (``Lion'' is ``splendor,'' ``strength,'' ``courage,'' ``danger'') and a benediction: ``Go, and be blessed''; only the dogs elect to stay with Adam, where they are soon discovered by the fleas (``leaper....vexation''). When all the others are named, the unicorn--the only mateless creature--arrives alone, with tears in its eyes; it is comforted with a special blessing: ``You will live always...sought and glimpsed but never captured.'' The well- told story comes vividly to life in its lovely illustrations. As she has for several biblical stories (Let There Be Light, 1991, etc.), Baynes uses gracefully telling lines and gleaming color to portray dozens of appealing animals, gathered into lively, beautifully balanced compositions sparkling with flowers like medieval tapestries. A charming tale and an intriguing dramatization of the power of names: a winner where unicorn stories are in demand (though this one will have to be pointed out: it's not on the jacket). (Picture book. 3-8) -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
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