(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Blair Drawson. Using many well-known Greek myths, Oberman makes some conjectures about Atlantis and tells us about the connections between the Minoans and the Greeks. The text is sophisticated and better suited to mature readers. The stylized paintings have touches of humor and horror, but the gods and the humans lack the dignity expressed in the telling. Glos.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Blair Drawson. In Hovey's hands, Arachne's weaving contest with Athena isn't simple hubris but a more complex rebellion. Contending that the gods are "parasites" living off human worship, Arachne provokes the wrath of Athena, who yet finds the girl's spirit compelling. The tale's varying rhyme scheme and loose meter evoke the measured phrases of a storyteller. The illustrations elongate the forms of Arachne and Athena to reveal their strength and larger-than-life status.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2001