Twin brothers Pavel and Paali debate whether good or evil will be rewarded, in this powerful Ukrainian folktale. When wicked Pavel wins their wager, he deprives his brother of all his possessions, eventually demanding both his eyes in exchange for two meager portions of grain. Blinded, betrayed, and close to starvation, Paali eventually finds himself lost in the great forest. Has Pavel triumphed? Or does fate have something else in store for the two brothers...?

A harsh tale of greed, fraternal cruelty and terrible punishment, The Rumor of Pavel & Paali has something of the Greek tragedy about it. Sensitive younger children may find the themes too disturbing, but older readers will appreciate Carole Kismaric's gripping narrative, and Charles Mikolaycak's intense illustrations. Mikolaycak is an artist with a talent for capturing emotion, and his faces - whether evil or good - have real power. Beautifully designed, with colorful folkloric accents, this is a book that readers will find visually hypnotic. ( )

Not for little children.

Normally I'm a proponent of using illustrated folktales to read above-level, but not with this one. Definitely a pre-read and know-your-child book.