The Great Cavern of the Winds: Tales from Backbone Mountain (ISBN 1570722943)

Magical:
The Great Cavern of the Winds is an engaging set of tales that is an absolute delight. Each of the 15 imaginatively illustrated chapters tells the story of a different make-believe character who plays a singular part in the magical unfolding story of Backbone Mountain. Each short chapter is a complete story in itself, so when bedtime comes, mom or dad can repeat at the end of a chapter the words of The Great Cavern of the Wind's storyteller, Esseldorf: "It will have to wait until another time..." I found myself moved by the obvious love the author has of the mountain on which she lives, the sheer poetry she uses when she speaks of the wind, the starry sky and all the wild beings that surround her, even the music of the trees as they move. I felt it most in the closing lines of a chapter when the Indians tell their much later version of the same story and speak of the "millions of colored stars (that) rose up from the mountain top and uncovered the sun." Such moments are sprinkled throughout the book and contribute to a read that is heart-stoppingly beautiful and more than a set of charming tales - it is a love song with life that both children and adults will enjoy together.