(4) K-3 Illustrated by Meilo So. Nai Nai reads a story about the Chinese zodiac to her granddaughter, Willow, and Willow's pet cat, Mao. Mao, angry that the tale omits Cat, stalks off to bed, then tells Willow the real (and wordy) story. The framing is contrived; more effective are the illustrations, which reflect both the story's contemporary setting and its Chinese folk-art elements.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Peter Malone. These two mother-daughter myth cycles from ancient Greece--the paired stories of Leto and her daughter Artemis, and Demeter and her daughter Persephone--are skillfully retold and engagingly paced. Black-and-white line drawings illustrate the action. However, the hook of focusing on the mother-daughter bond will likely be more appealing to doting mothers than to their independent daughters. Bib., glos.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) YA Illustrated by Marilee Heyer. Narrated by the three goddesses, three accounts personalize well-known episodes from Greek mythology. Background information, a map, and reproductions of classical artwork are all helpful; however, the fanciful epilogue and afterword, in which the author and the goddesses address the reader, seem gimmicky and too young for the intended audience. Lavish artwork adds to the dramatic presentation of the familiar tales. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Anne St. John

(4) K-3 Bank Street Ready-to-Read series. In Orgel's modern take-off on the "Stone Soup" folktale, a little girl helps a homeless woman cook up a pot of soup in the park for the neighborhood. The modern setting makes some of the story elements seem far-fetched--would kids and adults in the park really start running home to bring out ingredients for the soup?--but the story and illustrations are cheerful.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.