Legends, Myths & Fables, Folklore & Mythology, Children - Fiction & Literature

King Midas

Name: King Midas
Author: John Warren Stewig
ISBN: 9780823414239

by John Warren Stewig (Retold by), Cmar Rayyan, John Warren Stewig

Write a review

Overview

King Midas loves gold. Nothing can satisfy his desire for the precious metal, until a mysterious stranger offers him the gift of the Golden Touch. In this modern retelling of the familiar tale of greed and regret, Midas learns the hard way that some things in life are indeed more precious than gold.

A king finds himself bitterly regretting the consequences of his wish that everything he touches would turn to gold.

Synopsis

Children's Literature

The familiar myth is retold with zest and vivid imagery. The character of the greedy king is clearly delineated, as is his conversion to a new appreciation of what really matters in his life. The tale is not lengthy, but the language is rich and ripe for class discussion of the choices the king makes. Rayyan adds all sorts of humorous details, from Poseidon Puffs breakfast cereal to a cast of miniature Pans and Harpies, to keep the horror from overwhelming us. His naturalistic watercolor scenes depict a combination of classical architecture with modern touches, realistic animals, and a grossly melodramatic Midas. The double-page scenes deserve close inspection for all the surprising bits he has included. Another version worthy of comparison is Charlotte Craft's King Midas and the Golden Touch (1999, Illustrations by K.Y.Craft, Morrow).

Reviews

There are no reviews yet. Log in to write one.

Editorials

Children's Literature

School Library Journal

Gr 1-4-The story of Midas is a prescription we need filled regularly. This version, livelier in text as well as in its graphics than Charlotte and Kinuko Craft's King Midas (Morrow, 1999), takes off from Nathaniel Hawthorne's A Wonder Book, with its emphasis on the child Marygold. Stewig uses deft, direct language, moving at a faster pace than Craft without any sacrifice of significance. The real lure, however, is the artwork. Rayyan's imagination is playful and sophisticated. The delicately color-washed, light-struck paintings combine an expressionistic, almost cartoonish Midas, beautifully detailed architectural and other allusions to the antique, and a host of whimsically anachronistic touches. Dionysus/Pan is a Klimt-Beardsley hybrid, Midas eats "Plato Poseidon Puffs" for breakfast, and guest appearances by the Frog Prince and a host of mythological minor characters enliven every page. There's also a discreetly hidden plug for the artist's last book, The Ring of Truth (Holiday, 1997). Teasing details require study, but the time spent is repaid by the grace, intelligence, and wit of the artwork.-Patricia Lothrop-Green, St. George's School, Newport, RI

Kirkus Reviews

A polished, poignant retelling of a familiar legend and its worthy moral, that some things in life are worth more than their weight in gold. Greed drives King Midas when a mysterious stranger decides to grant his wish for a golden touch; too late the king realizes that everything he touches-roses, bed sheets, food, coffee, his beloved daughter-turns to cold yellow metal. By the time the stranger reappears, Midas is more than ready to return his gift. Rayyan's illustrations create a rich, busy background for the events; harpies, sphinxes, and satyrs scurry around, while careful observers will spot Icarus plunging toward the earth at the same moment that Midas transforms his daughter, Marygold. Such wonderful details bind the art and the text with perfect alacrity, ensuring that this book will not be long on the shelves. (Picture book/folkore. 5-9) .