Greek Beasts and Heroes: The Flying Horse

By Lucy Coats

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These little story books for ages 7-9 are very visual with bright colourful pictures and largish print. As the storyteller, Atticus, journeys to Sikyan, Nemea, Argos, Lerna, Stymphalus and Corinth, in central Greece, he stops to recount a tale of the Greek gods and goddesses which has some relevance to his situation. A map of Greece and the Aegean shows the reader Atticus’ journey. He tells of: stories from the heavens; the magic skin (Heracles and the lion); the golden apples (Hera); the Queen’s belt (Hippolyta); the swamp monster (the Hydra); bronze feathers (Stymphalian Birds); the Guardian of theUnderworld (Cerberus); the flying horse (Pegasus) and the cunning thief (Autolycus). Many of the stories are about Heracles (Hercules), one is about Bellerophon and one about Autolycus.

My favourite was the story of the bronze feathers which Heracles collected after he had frightened the Stymphalian Birds away with a giant rattle.