The Flying Horse

I bought this for my young nephew, and it's amazing. The art is stunning, and the story is brief but strong. There is death in the story, but I don't believe in dumbing down ancient myths. Myths were created to share the morals and values of a society, and changing the myths negates or warps those values. I plan on purchasing another for my niece.

In "The Flying Horse: The Story of Pegasus," Jane B. Mason retells a classic story from Greek mythology to beginning readers. Her simple prose is accompanied by Susan Swan's spectacular illustrations. The story focuses on Pegasus, the legendary winged horse. The goddess Athena guides Pegasus to join forces with a young prince in order to defeat a monster that has been terrifying the land. Mason thoughtfully provides pronunciation helps for the mythological names.Swan's illustrations really make this book special. Her artwork appears to consist of cut paper collages. These collages are rich in color, texture, and detail. Elegant Greek temple columns, the feathers of Pegasus' wings, the shaggy many of the monster, the rough gray stones around the monster's cave--all these details are rendered with spectacular skill by Swan.My only complaint about the book is the fact that both prince and monster go unnamed (for the record, the prince is Bellerophon, and the monster is the Chimera--I looked the names up to double-check them). But that's a minor complaint. The beauty and excitement of this book make "The Flying Horse" a worthy addition to the classroom or family library.