The small world of the Fisher folk is drying up. The water in their green pond is lower every day, and the stream that feeds it has shrunk to a trickle. Young Tad (short for Tadpole) and his little sister, Birdie, set out with their father, Pondleweed, on a journey upstream to find the cause of this disastrous Drying Time, at the beginning of a quest that will lead them into strange adventures and terrible danger. When Pondleweed is enticed by mysterious music into drowning himself in a sinister black pool, the children take refuge with a wizened dryad, who helps Tad to realize that he has been given a magical gift that will help him save the Fishers and the other two tribes who make up the world, but not without sacrifice and terror. This delightful miniature heroic fantasy is beautifully realized, from the details of the Fisher"s tiny domestic arrangements to the eerie echoes of classical mythology. Rebecca Rupp has created a satisfyingly complete world, with its water-oriented Fishers, gypsy Hunters, and furry Diggers, overseen by the tree spirit Dryads, the earth spirit Kobolds, and the water spirit Nixies, all subject to the majestic Great Rune and the death-owl Obd. Despite his heroic role, Tad is a real boy, and that and the antics of his comical watchfrog, Pippit, keep this charming tale from becoming too solemn. (Ages 10 to 14) --Patty Campbell