;How do you capture the wind on the water?leads her to invent sails, which enables the prisoners' escape by boat. The simple, occasionally poetic prose ("White, blue, and scarlet wings blossom over the boats" when the sails are raised) maintains a lively clip. Manchess debuts with brushy, impressionistic oils that give the characters a stalwart, rough-hewn look. An often luxuriant sense of color, strongly modeled forms, unusual angles and dramatic close-ups also make his work more robust than a more strictly realistic treatment.While fairy tale lovers will find the structure of this story familiar, its animated revisions offer welcome twists on well-worn formulas. Ages 4-8. (Sept.) Children's Literature In this beautifully written and illustrated text, Irish maiden Oonagh must answer four riddles to save her beloved Conal. He has been kidnapped by the evil pirate king, Malcolm, who wants to use Conal's spectacular weaving skills for his own selfish purposes. When Oonagh goes to save Conal, she pretends to be there to woo Malcolm's son.

To win his hand, she must answer four riddles over a 28-day period. During this time, she and Conal plan their escape, but can she answer the riddles successfully to make their plan work? This fantastic book tells a gripping story and is accompanied by spectacular oil painting illustrations. School Library Journal Gr 1-3Oonagh's life is a happy one until the day that Malcolm, the pirate king, captures the best weavers and needleworkers of Ireland, including her betrothed, and carries them off to his island. After a princess (whose true love is also a prisoner) describes her experiences in Malcolm's clutches, Oonagh devises a plan to free the slaves and travels to the brigands' stronghold. Once there, she agrees to answer the pirate's demand that she solve four riddles in four weeks.