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Let's Go, Pegasus!
An introduction to the classical Greek myth of Medusa and Pegasus describes how Perseus came upon the winged horse Pegasus after killing Medusa, which he did in order to save Perseus's mother from the wicked king.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published July 12, 2006
11 people want to read
About the author
Jean Marzollo
401 books74 followersJean Marzollo was an American children's author and illustrator best known for the I Spy series, a best-selling and award-winning collection written entirely in rhythm and rhyme and illustrated by Walter Wick. Over her career, she wrote more than 100 books for children, parents, and educators, including Help Me Learn Numbers 0-20, The Little Plant Doctor, and Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King. Born and raised in Connecticut, she graduated from the University of Connecticut and earned a master’s degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She taught high school English and later worked in educational publishing, serving for 20 years as editor of Scholastic’s Let’s Find Out Magazine. Later in life, she began illustrating her own books.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 29, 2012
This is another book that I would have to think of the appropriate age group to read this book to. The little boy cuts off the dragons head and has good intentions, but I think that may be a little too vulgar to read to young children. He saved his mother and freed the people that were affected by the dragon. This just goes to show that all myths and fables may not be intended for certain age groups. This is why you shouldn't judge a book by it cover.
January 29, 2010
Perhaps a little dumbed down (and certainly a little too cheerful), but, on the whole, wonderfully accesible Greek mythology for young children. My three and six year old were both enraptured with the book, and immediately wanted to learn more about Medusa and find Medusa coloring pages on the internet. It also introduces kids to the concept of the Greek chorus.
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June 1, 2019This is a very familiar myth told in a way that is neither gruesome nor over-bearing. It's a nice way to introduce Greek mythology for later, more sophisticated study. Read the full review.
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November 6, 2016Title: Let’s go, Pegasus!
Author: Jean Marzollo
Illustrator: Jean Marzollo
Genre: Myth
Theme(s): Greek gods, journey, animals, power
Opening line/sentence: “Once upon a time, a boy named Perseus lived on a Greek Island with his mother, Danae.”
Brief Book Summary: A boy named Perseus, lived with his mother, Danae and they were happy until the wicked king of the island chose Danae to be his new wife. The King did not like Perseus so he tried to get rid of him by instructing him to kill Medusa and bring him back her head, Perseus agreed to this only if the king would not marry his mother. Perseus asked the gods for help who gave him tools to help him along his way and was ultimately able to cut off Medusa’s head.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1: Ilene S. Goldman (Children's Literature)
While Marzollo is best known for her prolific I Spy books, she has written over 100 different books for babies, toddlers, and early readers. Pegasus is one of three in her recent foray into making Greek mythology accessible for young readers. She has adapted Ovid’s tale of the birth of Pegasus, complete with a Greek chorus of owls that scrolls along the bottom of each page commenting on the action. In Marzollo’s version, the hero Danae is a boy protecting his mother’s best interests. Danae, then, becomes a hero with whom the reader can easily identify. He appeals to the gods Athena and Hermes for help. With their powerful support, Danae is able to defeat Medusa and ride off on Pegasus. The watercolor illustrations enhance the story with their bright colors and imaginative rendering of the action. The book provides wonderful opportunities for discussion between the child and a parent or teacher. On the frontispiece, Marzollo provides notes to teachers and parents with ideas for how to use the book in a classroom as part of creative role playing and for discussion. She definitely makes this foundational fiction accessible and appealing to its intended audience. When they encounter Greek mythology in later grades they will have a good background for delving deeper.
Professional Recommendation/Review #2: Marzollo, Jean Let's Go, Pegasus! 32 pp. Little 2006. ISBN 0-316-74136-1 (3) K-3 Marzollo uses playful language and a Greek chorus of owls (in Pegasus) and little birds (in Pandora) to draw in young readers. Alternating fonts and predictable text placement help differentiate between what is narration and what is (child-friendly) dialogue. Marzollo's bold, simple, digitally assembled watercolor and ink collages capture the ancient setting, but with a modern feel.
Response to Two Professional Reviews: I appreciated how Illene S. Goldman commented on the “bright” colors; I think this adds a lot to the story considering the plot is a little dark. Because of these pleasant pictures and happy colors it allows for some relief of dark killing of Medusa and highlights the hero Danae. I also liked how Goldman spoke about the owls on the bottom of the page, I actually did not realize that while reading the text and this is a great teaching tool to ask questions to the class while reading the book aloud. These little owls on the bottom of each page will draw the readers in and engage them by having them question what is going on in the book.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: This myth relates directly to Molly Bang’s article, this is shown through Medusa, the evil monster being portrayed in all red and black, while Danae, the hero, is portrayed in soothing purple. I like how the author, Marzollo, alternates from traditional text to dialogue throughout the text, she even uses different font to symbolize this. Marzollo did an amazing job of simplifying this originally difficult, complex and long plot into a very simple and easy to follow children’s myth. Marzollo also did a good job of making sure that everything was portrayed happily, for example, Danae coming out a hero and living happily with his mother and the monster, Medusa being killed.
Consideration of Instructional Application: I would use this book to introduce Greek Gods. I would do this in a very simple and child friendly way, but I believe the gods and goddesses are very fascinating and the children would find this very interesting. I would first ask the children what they know and who they know about gods and goddesses and after giving a brief description of some gods and goddess I would have the students create a story similar to Danae’s story. I would have the student’s change the story so Danae would get help from gods and goddesses other than Athena and Hermes and identify how that would change the story.
Author: Jean Marzollo
Illustrator: Jean Marzollo
Genre: Myth
Theme(s): Greek gods, journey, animals, power
Opening line/sentence: “Once upon a time, a boy named Perseus lived on a Greek Island with his mother, Danae.”
Brief Book Summary: A boy named Perseus, lived with his mother, Danae and they were happy until the wicked king of the island chose Danae to be his new wife. The King did not like Perseus so he tried to get rid of him by instructing him to kill Medusa and bring him back her head, Perseus agreed to this only if the king would not marry his mother. Perseus asked the gods for help who gave him tools to help him along his way and was ultimately able to cut off Medusa’s head.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1: Ilene S. Goldman (Children's Literature)
While Marzollo is best known for her prolific I Spy books, she has written over 100 different books for babies, toddlers, and early readers. Pegasus is one of three in her recent foray into making Greek mythology accessible for young readers. She has adapted Ovid’s tale of the birth of Pegasus, complete with a Greek chorus of owls that scrolls along the bottom of each page commenting on the action. In Marzollo’s version, the hero Danae is a boy protecting his mother’s best interests. Danae, then, becomes a hero with whom the reader can easily identify. He appeals to the gods Athena and Hermes for help. With their powerful support, Danae is able to defeat Medusa and ride off on Pegasus. The watercolor illustrations enhance the story with their bright colors and imaginative rendering of the action. The book provides wonderful opportunities for discussion between the child and a parent or teacher. On the frontispiece, Marzollo provides notes to teachers and parents with ideas for how to use the book in a classroom as part of creative role playing and for discussion. She definitely makes this foundational fiction accessible and appealing to its intended audience. When they encounter Greek mythology in later grades they will have a good background for delving deeper.
Professional Recommendation/Review #2: Marzollo, Jean Let's Go, Pegasus! 32 pp. Little 2006. ISBN 0-316-74136-1 (3) K-3 Marzollo uses playful language and a Greek chorus of owls (in Pegasus) and little birds (in Pandora) to draw in young readers. Alternating fonts and predictable text placement help differentiate between what is narration and what is (child-friendly) dialogue. Marzollo's bold, simple, digitally assembled watercolor and ink collages capture the ancient setting, but with a modern feel.
Response to Two Professional Reviews: I appreciated how Illene S. Goldman commented on the “bright” colors; I think this adds a lot to the story considering the plot is a little dark. Because of these pleasant pictures and happy colors it allows for some relief of dark killing of Medusa and highlights the hero Danae. I also liked how Goldman spoke about the owls on the bottom of the page, I actually did not realize that while reading the text and this is a great teaching tool to ask questions to the class while reading the book aloud. These little owls on the bottom of each page will draw the readers in and engage them by having them question what is going on in the book.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: This myth relates directly to Molly Bang’s article, this is shown through Medusa, the evil monster being portrayed in all red and black, while Danae, the hero, is portrayed in soothing purple. I like how the author, Marzollo, alternates from traditional text to dialogue throughout the text, she even uses different font to symbolize this. Marzollo did an amazing job of simplifying this originally difficult, complex and long plot into a very simple and easy to follow children’s myth. Marzollo also did a good job of making sure that everything was portrayed happily, for example, Danae coming out a hero and living happily with his mother and the monster, Medusa being killed.
Consideration of Instructional Application: I would use this book to introduce Greek Gods. I would do this in a very simple and child friendly way, but I believe the gods and goddesses are very fascinating and the children would find this very interesting. I would first ask the children what they know and who they know about gods and goddesses and after giving a brief description of some gods and goddess I would have the students create a story similar to Danae’s story. I would have the student’s change the story so Danae would get help from gods and goddesses other than Athena and Hermes and identify how that would change the story.
Read
October 13, 2015Title: Let’s Go, Pegasus!
Author: Jean Marzollo
Illustrator: Jean Marzollo
Genre: Myth
Theme(s): Resilience, Greek Gods, Magical, Strength
Opening line/sentence: Once upon a time, a boy named Perseus lived on a Greek island with his mother, Danae.
Brief Book Summary: This is a story of a young boy, Perseus, being approach by the evil king to go and kill Medusa and bring her head back to the king. The king promises Perseus that if he does this then he won’t marry Perseus’s mother. With the help of two gods, Athena and Hermes, Perseus successfully kills Medusa and brings her head back to the king. The rest of Medusa’s body turns into a beautiful white horse with wings named Pegasus. The king looked into Medusas’ eyes and ends up turning to stone. Perseus’s mother no longer has to married the king. The people wanted Perseus to become king but he kindly declines, because he believes all the power belongs to the gods.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1: The Horn Book Guide Online
(3) K-3 Marzollo uses playful language and a Greek chorus of owls (in Pegasus) and little birds (in Pandora) to draw in young readers. Alternating fonts and predictable text placement help differentiate between what is narration and what is (child-friendly) dialogue. Marzollo's bold, simple, digitally assembled watercolor and ink collages capture the ancient setting, but with a modern feel.
Professional Recommendation/Review #2: Ilene S. Goldman (Children’s Literature)
When Marzollo is best known for her prolific I Spy books, she has written over 100 different books for babies, toddlers, and early readers. Pegasus is one of three in her recent foray into making Greek mythology accessible for young readers. She has adapted Ovid’s tale of the birth of Pegasus, complete with a Greek chorus of owls that scrolls along the bottom of each page commenting on the action. In Marzollo’s version, the hero Perseus is a boy protecting his mother’s best interests. Perseus, then becomes a hero with whom the reader can easily identify. He appeals to the gods Athena and Hermes for help. With their powerful support, Perseus is able to defeat Medusa and ride off on Pegasus. The watercolor illustrations enhance the story with their bright colors and imaginative rendering of the action. The book provides wonderful opportunities for discussion between the child and a parent or teacher. On the frontispiece, Marzollo provides notes to teachers and parents with ideas for how to use the book in a classroom as part of creative role playing and for discussion. She definitely makes this foundational fiction accessible and appealing to its intended audience. When they encounter Greek mythology in later grades they will have a good background for delving deeper.
Response to Two Professional Reviews: The professional reviews above really sum up this story. I absolutely love how Marzollo provides parents, teachers, and librarians a note at the beginning of the book about her story of Pegasus and ideas on role-playing this book. I also really enjoy the “Greek chorus” of owls added to the bottom of each page. Not only does this book teach young readers about the Greek gods but also about Greek history and culture.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: Marzollo does a great job of inviting parents, teachers and librarians to read this book to children with her note at the beginning of the book. She also uses wonderful watercolors that are very appealing to any audience. Marzollo also uses speech bubbles to portray the characters talking, which makes it easy for acting and role-playing in the classroom or with partners. One literacy element that I did notice from this story was that it has a running story. The chorus of owls at the bottom of the pages create another story inside the main story.
Consideration of Instructional Application: I would use this book to introduce Greek culture and myths to my students. It’s important for children to learn that there are people all over the world that don’t live exactly like we do and with this book this would be a great way to teach children about Greek gods and the old Greek traditions. The Greek chorus of owls is just a glimpse of some of the Greek traditions. With this book I would then ask my students to find further research on the Greek gods and Greek traditions.
Author: Jean Marzollo
Illustrator: Jean Marzollo
Genre: Myth
Theme(s): Resilience, Greek Gods, Magical, Strength
Opening line/sentence: Once upon a time, a boy named Perseus lived on a Greek island with his mother, Danae.
Brief Book Summary: This is a story of a young boy, Perseus, being approach by the evil king to go and kill Medusa and bring her head back to the king. The king promises Perseus that if he does this then he won’t marry Perseus’s mother. With the help of two gods, Athena and Hermes, Perseus successfully kills Medusa and brings her head back to the king. The rest of Medusa’s body turns into a beautiful white horse with wings named Pegasus. The king looked into Medusas’ eyes and ends up turning to stone. Perseus’s mother no longer has to married the king. The people wanted Perseus to become king but he kindly declines, because he believes all the power belongs to the gods.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1: The Horn Book Guide Online
(3) K-3 Marzollo uses playful language and a Greek chorus of owls (in Pegasus) and little birds (in Pandora) to draw in young readers. Alternating fonts and predictable text placement help differentiate between what is narration and what is (child-friendly) dialogue. Marzollo's bold, simple, digitally assembled watercolor and ink collages capture the ancient setting, but with a modern feel.
Professional Recommendation/Review #2: Ilene S. Goldman (Children’s Literature)
When Marzollo is best known for her prolific I Spy books, she has written over 100 different books for babies, toddlers, and early readers. Pegasus is one of three in her recent foray into making Greek mythology accessible for young readers. She has adapted Ovid’s tale of the birth of Pegasus, complete with a Greek chorus of owls that scrolls along the bottom of each page commenting on the action. In Marzollo’s version, the hero Perseus is a boy protecting his mother’s best interests. Perseus, then becomes a hero with whom the reader can easily identify. He appeals to the gods Athena and Hermes for help. With their powerful support, Perseus is able to defeat Medusa and ride off on Pegasus. The watercolor illustrations enhance the story with their bright colors and imaginative rendering of the action. The book provides wonderful opportunities for discussion between the child and a parent or teacher. On the frontispiece, Marzollo provides notes to teachers and parents with ideas for how to use the book in a classroom as part of creative role playing and for discussion. She definitely makes this foundational fiction accessible and appealing to its intended audience. When they encounter Greek mythology in later grades they will have a good background for delving deeper.
Response to Two Professional Reviews: The professional reviews above really sum up this story. I absolutely love how Marzollo provides parents, teachers, and librarians a note at the beginning of the book about her story of Pegasus and ideas on role-playing this book. I also really enjoy the “Greek chorus” of owls added to the bottom of each page. Not only does this book teach young readers about the Greek gods but also about Greek history and culture.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: Marzollo does a great job of inviting parents, teachers and librarians to read this book to children with her note at the beginning of the book. She also uses wonderful watercolors that are very appealing to any audience. Marzollo also uses speech bubbles to portray the characters talking, which makes it easy for acting and role-playing in the classroom or with partners. One literacy element that I did notice from this story was that it has a running story. The chorus of owls at the bottom of the pages create another story inside the main story.
Consideration of Instructional Application: I would use this book to introduce Greek culture and myths to my students. It’s important for children to learn that there are people all over the world that don’t live exactly like we do and with this book this would be a great way to teach children about Greek gods and the old Greek traditions. The Greek chorus of owls is just a glimpse of some of the Greek traditions. With this book I would then ask my students to find further research on the Greek gods and Greek traditions.
Read
October 13, 2015Title: Let’s Go, Pegasus!
Author: Jean Marzollo
Genre: Myth, Picture Book
Theme(s): Animals, Greek Mythology, Gods, Goddesses
Opening line/sentence: Once upon a time, a boy named Perseus lived on a Greek island with his mother, Danae.
Brief Book Summary: When a wicked king chooses a woman named Danae to be his wife, her son Perseus is very unpleased. The sneaky king makes a deal with Perseus that if he can kill Medusa and bring her head back to him, he won’t marry his mother. In the end, Perseus is equipped with special weapons from the Gods on Mount Olympus, which help him behead Medusa. Upon his arrival home, he turns the evil king to stone.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1: Marzollo, Jean Let's Go, Pegasus!
32 pp. Little 2006. ISBN 0-316-74136-1(3) K-3 Marzollo uses playful language and a Greek chorus of owls (in Pegasus) and little birds (in Pandora) to draw in young readers. Alternating fonts and predictable text placement help differentiate between what is narration and what is (child-friendly) dialogue. Marzollo's bold, simple, digitally assembled watercolor and ink collages capture the ancient setting, but with a modern feel. Review covers these titles: Let's Go, Pegasus! and Pandora's Box.
Professional Recommendation/Review #2:School Library Journal - School Library Journal K-Gr 3-An engaging retelling of Ovid's version of the Greek myth about how Perseus defeated Medusa and created Pegasus. Owls serve as a Greek chorus, even explaining their own function: "We listen to what's going on and then we talk about it." Even the youngest participants will be able to perform as the chorus because the owls' final words are always, "Hoot! Hoot!" and meant to be read just before the page is turned. The illustrations, painted in watercolor and Chinese ink and then scanned and assembled like a collage, are colorful and inviting. Different fonts enable readers to distinguish between narration and dialogue. Perseus is portrayed as a man wise enough to ask for and accept help in a challenging situation, and then follow through in accomplishing the goal. This introduction to Greek mythology will be a storytime favorite.-Alexa Sandmann, Kent State University, OH Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
Response to Two Professional Reviews: Both of these recommendations place an emphasis on the varying fonts and font placement used on each page. The normal font versus the italicized font make it easy to distinguish what is narration, and what is dialogue. I also agree with my first recommendation in that the illustrations throughout this text give off an ancient yet modern feel.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: Even though this text is set in ancient times, I absolutely love the fact that the illustrations in this book are bright and appealing. I also enjoy watching the development of Perseus’ character from start to finish, and the happy ending to this story.
Consideration of Instructional Application: I think this book would be appropriate for 4th grade students and older. The concept of the king sneakily planning Perseus’ death, and beheading a monster, might be a little too disturbing and intense for young readers. I would definitely use this book as an introduction to a unit on Greek mythology, or for a discussion about Greek Gods and Goddesses.
August 26, 2014
This is a simplified telling of the story of Perseus slaying Medusa and the origins of the Pegasus. The story is okay, but it's not very easy to read aloud as the dialogue makes up the majority of the story. It's similar to a graphic novel, but has more of a picture book format. The illustrations are colorful watercolors, but they aren't especially appealing to us. I thought the mixture of the dialogue that is suited for young children (Peek-a-boo! I see you!) and the violence of the story is a bit awkward. Our oldest liked playing the part of the Greek chorus, reading the owl's dialogue at the bottom of each page. Overall, it was an interesting retelling of a familiar story to us, but it isn't a favorite.
June 22, 2008
My kids really liked this book. It presented the story of Pegasus in a way they could understand. I'm not sure how 'accurate' this is and I'm sure there are many variations of the story. But overall I think it's well worth a read.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews