The Wooden Horse; Perseus and the Gorgon Medusa; Daedalus and Icarus

These three books are from a set of eight B-format hardbacks, some containing one tale and some two. The stories are told in a large clear print with line drawings on almost every page. The text has been reproduced from The Orchard Book of Greek Myths (1 85213 373 2) by the same author, first published in 1992.

The text is clear and easy to read aloud with a contemporary but not jarring feel. The stories are simplified for ease of comprehension and would be good introductory texts for those Key Stage 2 pupils studying Ancient Greece, easily read by competent readers at that stage, or to read aloud.

The plentiful illustrations, by the versatile Tony Ross, are in a style reminiscent of Quentin Blake, sketchy and somewhat cartoon-like. While not always attractive perhaps, some of them are very useful in extending the text, for example in illustrating the descent of the hidden Greeks from the Wooden Horse.

For family use the full collection, at £11.99, obviously represents better value; for classroom or library the individual volumes might be useful, although since, for some reason, the front covers and spines only mention the first story in each book, searching for particular tales could be tedious and frustrating.