In this lilting ballad poet Ian Serraillier tells the story of one of the most unusual of all saints. Simeon, a monk who lived in the fourth century, became discouraged with the evil in the world around him and withdrew to live forty years on top of a pole.
Simon Stern's bright pictures detail the saint's unusual living arrangements. From his high vantage point Simeon looks down in sorrow at the sad lives of his fellow townsmen. Among their tribulations the greatest is a fire-breathing dragon who regularly consumes a ration of local residents. When the fortieth year of Simeon's high exile comes around, his fate and that of the dragon are drawn together in a moving confrontation.
The strong, spare language of Mr. Serraillier's poem suits this unusual subject, and together with the spirited illustrations, makes a book that is as thought provoking as it is beautiful.
