"Heroes & Monsters of Greek Myth" by Bernard and Dorothy Evslin (published 1967)

“Heroes & Monsters of Greek Myth” by Bernard and Dorothy Evslin and Ned Hoopes is a perfect little book of stories from Greek Mythology. The stories are written like folktales, making a simpler and more distilled (without retracting from quality) version compared to something like Ovid’s “Metamorphoses”. Readers will become familiar with Perseus, born of Zeus and a woman, who beheaded Medusa to prove his power to his oppressor, Polydectes. They will become familiar with Daedalus, father of Icarus and creator of waxen wings, whose son flew too close to the sun. Theseus also, who overcame his insecurity about being small compared to other men by slaying the monster Minotaur. They will read about Atalanta, the girl who was raised by bears after being abandoned by her father, the woman who became a fierce huntress, princess, and wife of Hippomenes. The awesome fables of King Midas and his greed and Pygmalion and his artistry will also be found in this book. “Heroes & Monsters of Greek Myth” zeroes in on particular stories, the stories of the demigods and their plights. Evslin and Hoopes blend all these together seamlessly in a book made to be read many times, just like a book of fairy-tales is meant to be read much more than once.