by Gina Halpern
Reviewed by Whitney Stewart

Through exquisitely detailed and culturally sensitive drawings, Gina Halpern creates a charming full-color picture book for young readers. Few illustrators have been able to capture Tibetan style and imagery in a modern story, but Halpern does it with humor and unlimited originality. Through Halpern's inimitable style, the characters seem to climb out over their illustrated borders and enliven our hearts.

We follow the story (written in both English and Tibetan) of two Tibetan children living in exile who long to find their homeland. Their search takes us to the core of Tibetan life and culture where we, too, hope to find Tibet's Great Spirit of Fteace. Readers who recognize the unnamed Tibetan monk sitting contentedly under a wide tree will immediately understand his joyous gift. Those who don't will nonetheless be caught by the clarity of his wisdom:

Look into your heart, the man suggests.

And readers can't help from doing so.

Text and illustrations fn/ Gina Halpern; Tibetan translations by Ngawgng Jorden. 48 pp., $12.95 paper. Snow Lion Publications, 1991