Pegasus and the Proud Prince and The Flying Carpet

If the rest of the series lives up to the standard of this book, then I would recommend buying the whole of the series of Orchard ‘Myths’. They would be an excellent asset to the classroom library as they are well told by Mayo, who knows just the right turn of language to use for children. The illustrations by Bailey are simply done, but nonetheless convey just what meaning is required by the text. In Pegasus and the Proud Prince, children read how Bellerophon defeats the Chimera and then gains the hand of the king’s only daughter in marriage. Unfortunately his pride leads to his downfall. This is contrasted with the story of the Indian prince who also uses his wits to gain the hand of his princess – he is wise and more humble than Bellerophon, and lives his life to a happy ending. The notes at the back of the book form a useful background to the myths for adults or interested children.