Time of the Bison

The lives of primitive cave dwellers, an unlikely subject for children's fiction, emerge in this short novel about a boy with an artistic, mystical gift. Scar Boy longs for a special talent, and thus a name, that will bring him distinction. (His father, too, had felt the same way as a boy.) In this deliberately told, quiet story, we see him discovering that he can paint the ``animal pictures'' that his people need and revereand we see how deeply this affects him. Tyler's simple prose is exactingly descriptive; her precision helps define the nature of Scar Boy's creative urge, which ``frightened him and made him happy.'' Peck's dark illustrations are strongly composed; although faces are depicted inconsistently, the pictures call attention to pivotal scenes and match the expectant mood of the text. Ages 7-10. (October)