The Beautiful Stories of Life by Cynthia Rylant

"The Beautiful Stories of Life: Six Greek Myths, Retold" by Cynthia Rylant and illustrated by Carson Ellis is a pleasant book. It puts the stories of Pandora, Persephone, Orpheus, Pygmalion, Narcissus, and Psyche into modern language. While the stories are all different, some characters' names are mentioned in several scenarios. The text flows as readers revisit Greek tales that captivate their imagination.

This book is a quick read; with under seventy-five pages, it can easily be read in a day. Its black and white pictures are beautiful, but the reader is left wanting to see more. The vocabulary is simple, with the hardest word being philandering. There are some sexual innuendos, but they are not at all graphic. They refer to married couples sleeping in the same bed and loving each other. The euphemisms aren't explicit, but parent guidance is suggested.

slight sexual innuendos

Reviewer Age: 17

Reviewer City, State and Country: Staten Island, NY USA