The Merchant and the Thief

PreS-Gr 2—An earnest but envious man, Mohan resorts to petty theft to supplement his desire to be rich. To further his ambition, he decides to join a rich man on his travels and steal his jewels. But each night Mohan searches their room and comes up empty-handed. After a while, the rich man confides to Mohan that he has known his intentions all along and shows him that the treasure has been hidden each night beneath Mohan's own pillow. "When we have our eyes on other people's treasure, we cannot see how close we are to the greatest treasure there is." The treasure to which the man refers is the love of God. This time, Mohan returns home with the treasure of God's love in his heart. Exquisite illustrations highlight the lively marketplaces and stunning architecture of India in this tale of a wise merchant and a misguided thief. Bold colors outlined in fine pen-and-ink augment each page with great detail and intricacy. A simple story with an obvious Christian message, this adaptation of an Indian folktale is greatly enhanced by Fournier's art.—C. J. Connor, Campbell County Public Library, Cold Spring, KY