Perseus

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Hutton's customarily expressive watercolors bring both beauty and solemnity to the tale of Medusa's slayer. Cast adrift at birth because of a prophecy that he would one day kill his grandfather, Perseus is manipulated into pursuit of the hideous Gorgon's head by a king who desires his mother--and who is, of course, later turned to stone when Perseus displays his bounty. The vistas Hutton portrays, many of which suggest vast expanses of sea and sky under an unchanging, seemingly pitiless sun, form an eloquent, ironic commentary on the struggles and frequent cruelty of mankind--struggles to which not even the gods are inured. (One of the most powerful scenes depicts a seated, diminutive Perseus bathed in moonlight at Athene's and Hermes's feet.) The myth itself may have less contemporary resonance than others interpreted by this artist: in it, for example, beauty and goodness are closely and repeatedly allied. And, uncharacteristically, Hutton leaves the story open-ended, never returning to the prophecy whose eventual fulfillment is an integral part of the myth. Still, an evocative interpretation of a cornerstone of Greek lore. Ages 7-up. (Mar.)

Children's Literature - Marilyn Courtot

Washed ashore in a wooden chest, Perseus and his mother are rescued by Dictys, brother to the evil king of Polydectes. Mother Danad 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 Danad wed and rule the kingdom and Perseus appears to be happy with Andromeda. As for Medusa's head, read the story and find out.

School Library Journal

K-Gr 3-- One of the most powerful myths, Perseus has everything: a mother and child locked in a chest and set on the sea to die, an evil king who sends the grown Perseus on a deadly quest, Gray Sisters who share one tooth and one eye among them, a cap of invisibility, winged sandals, a magic sickle, Gorgons with live snakes for hair, a naked damsel chained to cliff, and bad guys turned to statues right and left. Hutton's clear prose tells much, but its brevity may raise many questions. Nonetheless, children will be caught up in the action-packed adventure. The watercolor art is as typically graceful as that on a Greek vase--blue, green, and gold with touches of russet. Perseus is beautiful, smooth-skinned with no muscles. Medusa looks like an ancient tribal mask, not frightening, but true to the old retellings that describe her as having tusks and a thick tongue. However, the Medusa of the mind's eye is more awe-inspiring. No other picture book editions are currently available. Longer retellings are certainly more satisfying, but this could be used to introduce the myth to primary graders. --Helen Gregory, Grosse Pointe Public Library, MI

Hazel Rochman

Hutton's illustrated version of the Perseus myth doesn't have the power of his best retellings, such as "The Trojan Horse". This Perseus is 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 when Perseus 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.