This is a thoughtfully written and designed story book aimed at reluctant or challenged youngsters with a reading age of about 8. Its compact format (c.18 x 13 cms) will sit comfortably in young hands, the clear, well-spaced font sits well on the tinted pages, and the grey-scale illustrations by Alessio Trunfio are dynamic and engaging.
The prolific author relates sensitively and skilfully Hercules’ quest for eternal glory, focusing on the tales of the Nemean lion, Atlas and the apples of the Hesperides, and Cerberus. It is an exciting narrative, sensitively avoiding tricky Greek names (e.g. Eurystheus, Sisyphus, Tantalus, Danaides – but Styx annoyingly appears as Stix), and with a simple pronunciation guide for the main protagonists. A ‘Bonus Bits!’ section at the end comprises a short, quick quiz and topics for the young reader to ponder. A super little book, which is, incidentally, an addition to similar titles in the same series featuring stories from other European mythologies.
Bob Bass
Hercules by Benjamin Hulme-Cross
Bloomsbury
ISBN 9781472971098
£6.99
