Perseus

by Warwick Hutton

In a dramatic retelling of the ancient Greek myth, Perseus, a young hero, embarks on a perilous, adventure-filled quest to kill Medusa, a Gorgon that, with one look, can turn people into stone.

Genres: Picture Books, Mythology

1 pages, Library Binding

First published March 1, 1993

Reviews

[Luke]

Title: Perseus
Author: Warwick Hutton
Illustrator: Warwick Hutton
Genre: Myth
Theme(s): Bravery, kindness
Opening line/sentence:
“The early morning sun rose up over the Greek island of Seriphos.”

Brief Book Summary:
A prophecy is foretold that a king’s grandson – Perseus – will be the end of his reign. In fear, he sends Perseus away. Later, Perseus returns to the King and the King says that he will leave Perseus alone if he can get Medusa’s head. The King believes this to be an impossible task, but Perseus – with the help of the gods – prevails and turns the King to stone with the head.

Professional Recommendation/Review #1:
Hazel Rochman (Booklist, FEb. 15, 1993 (Vol. 89, No. 12))
Hutton's illustrated version of the Perseus myth doesn't have the power of his best retellings, such as The Trojan Horse. This Perseusis a pale, gentle soul, set against a predominantly blue-and-white background, and the monsters he encounters--even the Gorgons--are just not that scary. Hutton has taken much of the dark conflict out of the story: once Perseus has saved Andromeda, he has no trouble taking her home to live happily ever after; and even his predestined killing of his grandfather doesn't happen here. What kids will respond to is the sense of the young hero's vulnerability, especially in the double-page spread of the sneering court whenPerseus is tricked and humiliated by the cruel king. There's a splendid reversal at the end, when Perseus returns to the court with the Medusa's head he was sent to bring: he holds it out and turns everyone to stone.

Professional Recommendation/Review #2:
Marilyn Courtot (Children's Literature)
Washed ashore in a wooden chest, Perseus and his mother are rescued by Dictys, brother to the evil king of Polydectes. Mother Dana is pursued by the king, and Perseus is tricked and shamed into bringing the head of the Medusa back to the wicked king thus freeing his mother from the king's unwanted advances. During his adventures, Perseus outwits the Gray Sisters, is aided by the nymphs and, with the help of Hermes and Athene, he defeats the Gorgons and captures medusa's head. On his return home, he rescues Andromeda, and the evil king and his court are turned to stone when they gaze upon Medusa's head. Dictys and Dana wed and rule the kingdom and Perseus appears to be happy with Andromeda. As for Medusa's head, read the story and find out.

Response to Two Professional Reviews:
The first review mentions that the story is dulled down. This is something that I was considering while I was reading the myth. I remembered Greek mythology being much more gruesome, and was wondering if I was alone in this sentiment. While it was still the same basic story, I believe the illustrations took away from the severity of the myth. Many of the colors were pale and weak, taking away from the intensity usually present in Greek mythology.

Evaluation of Literary Elements:
The theme here was the same one present in Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters. The king was cruel, and was punished for it while Perseus was courageous and kind, and was better for it. One scene I think is particularly powerful is when Perseus asks the king if he wants to see his prize. The King was so overly confident Perseus could not have completed the task that he answered yes, and it was his own undoing.

Consideration of Instructional Application:
Greek mythology is firmly entrenched in Greek culture, and I think it would be fun to use this story (and possibly some other Greek myths) to create a unit about Greek culture. Aside from the myths I would bring in some other aspects of Greek culture. I would have the children taste some of the food, we could listen to some music, and even learn some of the language! I think it would be a wonderful way to expose children to a new culture.

[Shelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since my daughter and I have been rereading the Perseus Jackson books we have been studying about numerous Greek Heroes to better appreciate all the subtle and not so subtle legends throughout Rick Riordan's series. This was the first of our Perseus books and it was just o.k. I didn't walk away from it feeling like I learned anything I didn't already know about Perseus from the information we have acquired reading about other heroes.

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was alright, but sometimes I felt as though they could have spent more time explaining the background. Also the ending is unclear as if the prphecy was true.