Reviews: (by author)

Gibfried, Diane. Brother Juniper. Illus. Meilo So. New York : Clarion, 2006. ISBN 0-618-54361-9. $16.

Brother Juniper is a monk with St. Francis, a guileless and generous man. Possessions mean nothing to him. Left in charge one day when Francis and the other brothers leave the monastery, he practices what he preaches in this folklore-like story, literally giving away everything from the kitchen sink to the robe off his back. What he and the other brothers receive in return is a lovely lesson in genuine kindness and the reciprocity it elicits. Gibfried's writing is light and direct, excellent for reading aloud.

I'm a longterm fan of Meilo So. Here she displays yet another dimension of her extraordinary gift for watercolor illustration with paintings that bring to life the sweet humor of the story.

A. Allison, June 2006

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