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Medusa
Medusa was born the only beautiful daughter to the ugliest sea witch ever to inhabit the depths of the ocean. Her looks were radiant enough to gain the adoration of Poseidon, King of the Oceans, causing her to become very vain. But vanity is a dangerous thing in a world controlled by jealous gods. Athena, goddess of beauty, is angered by Medusa's conceit and pronounces a curse: "Anyone who looks at you will turn to stone. Hide yourself if you can!" With this, Medusa is transformed into a hideous monster, forced to hide herself in a distant cave and await her fate.When Perseus, a mortal son of Zeus, is ordered by the sinister Polydectes to deliver the head of Medusa, it seems he has been chosen to see that Athena's curse reaches its fruition. But how will he accomplish what no other mortal has been able to? How will he survive the glare of Medusa? Is it possible Medusa will defy her cursed fate?
In her masterfully written and imaginatively illustrated book, Deborah Nourse Lattimore re-creates the tragedy of one of the best-known Greek myths--the tale of the gorgon Medusa.
In her masterfully written and imaginatively illustrated book, Deborah Nourse Lattimore re-creates the tragedy of one of the best-known Greek myths--the tale of the gorgon Medusa.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
November 28, 2019
A picture-book retelling of the ancient Greek myth of Medusa, the beautiful daughter of a sea witch, who is cursed by the goddess Athena and transformed into a terrible creature - a gorgon with snakes for hair. Not content with that punishment, Athena sets in motion a chain of events that will lead the hero Perseus to Medusa, and bring about her destruction...
Lattimore's version of the myth of Medusa is engaging enough, and will probably provide an entertaining story-hour for young Greek mythology enthusiasts. That said, although I understand that ancient myths have many variants, I was surprised to discover that some fairly common elements of this story were ommited. In most versions, it is the actual physical union between Poseidon and Medusa that gives offense, as it occurs in Athena's temple. Perhaps Lattimore felt that this wasn't appropriate for children, as she makes Medusa's vanity the cause of Athena's curse. I might have been able to swallow that, if I hadn't been astonished to see Athena described, on the front dust-jacket, as a "goddess of beauty!" I think that young readers might find this error somewhat confusing.
Lattimore's version of the myth of Medusa is engaging enough, and will probably provide an entertaining story-hour for young Greek mythology enthusiasts. That said, although I understand that ancient myths have many variants, I was surprised to discover that some fairly common elements of this story were ommited. In most versions, it is the actual physical union between Poseidon and Medusa that gives offense, as it occurs in Athena's temple. Perhaps Lattimore felt that this wasn't appropriate for children, as she makes Medusa's vanity the cause of Athena's curse. I might have been able to swallow that, if I hadn't been astonished to see Athena described, on the front dust-jacket, as a "goddess of beauty!" I think that young readers might find this error somewhat confusing.
March 11, 2018
MYTH
Target Audience: Upper elementary to middle school
Medusa, born beautiful to a sea witch, brags about how her beauty far exceeds the goddess Athena. Unfortunately for Medusa, Athena overhears her and curses her for the rest of her life. Athena, playing master manipulator, further exacerbates Medusa's situation by suggested to King Polydectes to ask for Medusa's head from Pereus in order to save his mother's life. This picture book makes the myth very accessible to 6th graders in particular. Reading it to all my 6th grade classes, had my normally highly chatty classes in rapt awe.
Medusa was born in the sea and this book is bathed in cool shades of blue and green. Bold colors in collages mix with bright and varied textures creating depth. The text is in an airy black modern font with a white background. The Illustrations wrap and curve around the text, as if they are part of the story. This creates a nice unifying feeling, as the colors vary in intensity to reflect the plot events as well. The climax of the story is colored in intense cool colors with the orange-y red snakes contrasting dramatically. This is an enjoyable read aloud and perfect connection to 6th grade ancient history.
The motif for this folktale is about mystical power. Medusa shares a mystical power with the folktale Golem by Wisniewski. Golem was created supernaturally and provides a function for its owner. Comparatively, Medusa is cursed and given a mystical power to turn people that she looks at into stone. Both Golem and Medusa represent the other in society, portraying evil as uncontrollable yet their evil is forced onto them from someone more powerful.
Lesson ideas: My class wrote and debated whether Medusa was truly evil or a victim of circumstance and retold the myth in comic book form.
Target Audience: Upper elementary to middle school
Medusa, born beautiful to a sea witch, brags about how her beauty far exceeds the goddess Athena. Unfortunately for Medusa, Athena overhears her and curses her for the rest of her life. Athena, playing master manipulator, further exacerbates Medusa's situation by suggested to King Polydectes to ask for Medusa's head from Pereus in order to save his mother's life. This picture book makes the myth very accessible to 6th graders in particular. Reading it to all my 6th grade classes, had my normally highly chatty classes in rapt awe.
Medusa was born in the sea and this book is bathed in cool shades of blue and green. Bold colors in collages mix with bright and varied textures creating depth. The text is in an airy black modern font with a white background. The Illustrations wrap and curve around the text, as if they are part of the story. This creates a nice unifying feeling, as the colors vary in intensity to reflect the plot events as well. The climax of the story is colored in intense cool colors with the orange-y red snakes contrasting dramatically. This is an enjoyable read aloud and perfect connection to 6th grade ancient history.
The motif for this folktale is about mystical power. Medusa shares a mystical power with the folktale Golem by Wisniewski. Golem was created supernaturally and provides a function for its owner. Comparatively, Medusa is cursed and given a mystical power to turn people that she looks at into stone. Both Golem and Medusa represent the other in society, portraying evil as uncontrollable yet their evil is forced onto them from someone more powerful.
Lesson ideas: My class wrote and debated whether Medusa was truly evil or a victim of circumstance and retold the myth in comic book form.
February 16, 2024
Great book for child-level Greek mythology. It’s short, simple and just the story of Perseus. No multiple perspectives considered. Narrator very neutral and not dictating blame or motivations. But for just learning the story and having an early introductions to Greek gods and their stories, it was good material. My kids were fascinated.
August 31, 2019
The art in this book is simply stunning. The story is slightly different than I know but, I enjoyed it very much!
October 23, 2015
One thing I appreciate about stories based on Greek Mythology is how contrary they run to what one would narratively expect. In doing so, they make me realize just how conditioned I've become.
Take Medusa. I knew the end of the story, wherein the hideous gorgon is slain by the young hero, Perseus - very classic monster-movie stuff - but I was unfamiliar with the beginnings of the tale, which Lattimore goes into in lush, grotesque detail.
...there lived in the muddy depths of the ocean a sea witch. She was one part poisonous eel, one part giant water snake, and a third part woman - in such a hideous combination that all creatures who looked at her froze in terror and could barely swim away. The only thing more frightening than this sea witch were her many children. They clung to her with their long, scaly bodies, bent fins, and gaping teeth.
I love the way Lattimore writes, and I love her illustrations. She loves using bright, bold colors which instantly fool my eyes into thinking they're gazing at something beautiful, when in reality, a second glance reveals its grotesqueness. The mother of Medusa is a terrible sight: a witchy, evil creature with long teeth and a black tongue, a body that trails off into long, bloody tentacles. And around her, squirm her children who resemble dragons from some alien ocean.
Yet strangely, from the loins of this creature comes a woman more beautiful than beautiful, the lovely Medusa, who resembles a starry-eyes Barbie. As her brothers and sisters squirm and writhe, Medusa spends her days sitting upon the craggy rocks, watching the waves crash, her long, blond hair billowing in the breeze. All who see her fall in love with her, including the King of the Ocean, Poseidon.
"I am just like a goddess!" muses Medusa to herself. "I am even more beautiful than Athena herself. And when I marry Poseidon, I will be Queen of all the Oceans!"
Aha. Not smart, Medusa. No sooner do those words come from her beautiful, lush lips, than Athena herself rises from the foam of the ocean and casts her curse:
"You are no goddess, but the bragging daughter of a mud toad! You came from the sea and to the sea you will return. But only after you live out your days in such ugliness that anyone who looks at you will turn to stone. One day a boy from the sea will come to kill you. This is my curse!"
Suddenly, Medusa doubles over in agony, her hair turning into twisting, terrible serpents. She has been turned ugly! And anyone who looks at her will turn to stone! Egads!
Meanwhile...
A fisherman rescues a beautiful woman and her young son from a wooden chest which has just washed ashore. The grateful woman tells a fantastic tale of how Zeus magically impregnated her with golden dust, and her father cast her and her son out to perish. The woman is Danae and her son is Perseus.
It is Perseus who is fated to fulfill Athena's prophecy. For when his mother is held captive by the evil Polydectes, Athena whispers her plan to him.
"Danae!" he announces, "I have decided to make you my queen. And your son, Perseus, will bring us a wedding gift - the head of Medusa! If you defy me, and if Perseus fails, then it will be death for you both!"
And so everything is going according to plan, so far as Athena is concerned. She successfully turned the beautiful Medusa into a hideous monster, and she has now secured a young man who will kill her. Athena - with the help of Hermes - helps Perseus on his quest, leading him to the gray sisters - whom Lattimore illustrates as mangled, dirty angels with bloody, empty eye sockets and withered mouths. They lead him to the sea nymphs, who in turn lead him to the Isle of Hyperboreans, where Medusa lives, but not before outfitting him with golden sandals, a leather pouch and the Cap of Darkness. All the meanwhile, it is Athena who is pulling the strings.
It should be clear to anyone reading this story that it is Athena who is the true villain here. After all, Medusa is not truly a monster, but only a beautiful young woman horribly and unjustly disfigured. Does it not seem that the narrative should logically take a twist here, and somehow the good, brave Perseus realizes he's been tricked, finds a way to reverse Athena's curse, and the story should end with he and the now-returned-to-her-former-beauty Medusa marrying and living happily ever after?
Well, that doesn't happen.
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Take Medusa. I knew the end of the story, wherein the hideous gorgon is slain by the young hero, Perseus - very classic monster-movie stuff - but I was unfamiliar with the beginnings of the tale, which Lattimore goes into in lush, grotesque detail.
...there lived in the muddy depths of the ocean a sea witch. She was one part poisonous eel, one part giant water snake, and a third part woman - in such a hideous combination that all creatures who looked at her froze in terror and could barely swim away. The only thing more frightening than this sea witch were her many children. They clung to her with their long, scaly bodies, bent fins, and gaping teeth.
I love the way Lattimore writes, and I love her illustrations. She loves using bright, bold colors which instantly fool my eyes into thinking they're gazing at something beautiful, when in reality, a second glance reveals its grotesqueness. The mother of Medusa is a terrible sight: a witchy, evil creature with long teeth and a black tongue, a body that trails off into long, bloody tentacles. And around her, squirm her children who resemble dragons from some alien ocean.
Yet strangely, from the loins of this creature comes a woman more beautiful than beautiful, the lovely Medusa, who resembles a starry-eyes Barbie. As her brothers and sisters squirm and writhe, Medusa spends her days sitting upon the craggy rocks, watching the waves crash, her long, blond hair billowing in the breeze. All who see her fall in love with her, including the King of the Ocean, Poseidon.
"I am just like a goddess!" muses Medusa to herself. "I am even more beautiful than Athena herself. And when I marry Poseidon, I will be Queen of all the Oceans!"
Aha. Not smart, Medusa. No sooner do those words come from her beautiful, lush lips, than Athena herself rises from the foam of the ocean and casts her curse:
"You are no goddess, but the bragging daughter of a mud toad! You came from the sea and to the sea you will return. But only after you live out your days in such ugliness that anyone who looks at you will turn to stone. One day a boy from the sea will come to kill you. This is my curse!"
Suddenly, Medusa doubles over in agony, her hair turning into twisting, terrible serpents. She has been turned ugly! And anyone who looks at her will turn to stone! Egads!
Meanwhile...
A fisherman rescues a beautiful woman and her young son from a wooden chest which has just washed ashore. The grateful woman tells a fantastic tale of how Zeus magically impregnated her with golden dust, and her father cast her and her son out to perish. The woman is Danae and her son is Perseus.
It is Perseus who is fated to fulfill Athena's prophecy. For when his mother is held captive by the evil Polydectes, Athena whispers her plan to him.
"Danae!" he announces, "I have decided to make you my queen. And your son, Perseus, will bring us a wedding gift - the head of Medusa! If you defy me, and if Perseus fails, then it will be death for you both!"
And so everything is going according to plan, so far as Athena is concerned. She successfully turned the beautiful Medusa into a hideous monster, and she has now secured a young man who will kill her. Athena - with the help of Hermes - helps Perseus on his quest, leading him to the gray sisters - whom Lattimore illustrates as mangled, dirty angels with bloody, empty eye sockets and withered mouths. They lead him to the sea nymphs, who in turn lead him to the Isle of Hyperboreans, where Medusa lives, but not before outfitting him with golden sandals, a leather pouch and the Cap of Darkness. All the meanwhile, it is Athena who is pulling the strings.
It should be clear to anyone reading this story that it is Athena who is the true villain here. After all, Medusa is not truly a monster, but only a beautiful young woman horribly and unjustly disfigured. Does it not seem that the narrative should logically take a twist here, and somehow the good, brave Perseus realizes he's been tricked, finds a way to reverse Athena's curse, and the story should end with he and the now-returned-to-her-former-beauty Medusa marrying and living happily ever after?
Well, that doesn't happen.
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December 5, 2009
In this version of the Medusa/Perseus story, Medusa is the beautiful daughter of a sea witch. She's so lovely, in fact, that she catches the eye of Poseidon.
When they become betrothed, Medusa looses her perspective, and wits apparently, and makes the mistake of her life when she dares to compare her beauty to Athena's. That goddess becomes outraged and subsequently curses Medusa and turns her into the monster we all know. Which is when the story turns to Perseus' saga. In Ms. Lattimore's version, he and his mother are caste up on the shore where she is found by the kind fisherman. There's a couple of lines of fill-in to explain why the pair were in the chest that burst open on the shore, and then shortly thereafter they are taken captive by the evil king.
From there the story, more or less, follows the classic short version of the tale. By which I mean that Andromeda is left out completely, as is the ending part of the story where Perseus accidentally kills his grandfather. This book ends instead with Medusa's head being cast into the ocean because it's far too dangerous to keep around. And we are told that this is where red coral comes from. Medusa's blood, you see, was transformed into the beautiful little creatures.
Talking Points:::
This is a nice version of the story that I think most older children would like. My daughter (9 y.o.) read it through several times.
I'm hesitant to suggest it for younger children, not because of the story, but because the artwork is very stylized. My son, for example, who's 7 years didn't care for it at all. But that's surely a matter of taste. (We much prefer Ms. Lattimore's work in other books such as "The Winged Cat" and "The Fool and the Phoenix".)
Pam T~
mom and reviewer at my blog
When they become betrothed, Medusa looses her perspective, and wits apparently, and makes the mistake of her life when she dares to compare her beauty to Athena's. That goddess becomes outraged and subsequently curses Medusa and turns her into the monster we all know. Which is when the story turns to Perseus' saga. In Ms. Lattimore's version, he and his mother are caste up on the shore where she is found by the kind fisherman. There's a couple of lines of fill-in to explain why the pair were in the chest that burst open on the shore, and then shortly thereafter they are taken captive by the evil king.
From there the story, more or less, follows the classic short version of the tale. By which I mean that Andromeda is left out completely, as is the ending part of the story where Perseus accidentally kills his grandfather. This book ends instead with Medusa's head being cast into the ocean because it's far too dangerous to keep around. And we are told that this is where red coral comes from. Medusa's blood, you see, was transformed into the beautiful little creatures.
Talking Points:::
This is a nice version of the story that I think most older children would like. My daughter (9 y.o.) read it through several times.
I'm hesitant to suggest it for younger children, not because of the story, but because the artwork is very stylized. My son, for example, who's 7 years didn't care for it at all. But that's surely a matter of taste. (We much prefer Ms. Lattimore's work in other books such as "The Winged Cat" and "The Fool and the Phoenix".)
Pam T~
mom and reviewer at my blog
August 25, 2008
Myth
This story is about a beautiful girl, Medusa, who was basically full of herself. She said that she was more beautiful than the goddess, Athena. So, Athena put a spell on the girl, maing her very ugly and causing anyone to turn to stone if they looked at her face. She also told her that one day a boy from the sea would come to kill her. Meanwhile, a woman and her son were found at sea, they accidentally traveled too far and were captured by mean soldiers. The tyrant decided that he wanted to be with the woman and told her son that if he could bring the king back Medusa's head then he would let them both go. And, if he came back empty handed, he would kill both of them. With the help of Athena, the son went looking for Medusa, he found her, cut her head off, and took it back to the tyrant. No one believed that he actually had the head (because if you loked at her, then you turned to stone), so he told his mother to cover her eyes and then he took the head of Medusa out of his bag and showed it to everyone. They all turned to stone. The son put the head back into the bag, and Athena threw into the ocean, where Medusa's blood streamed out and formed coral, from sea-to-sea and ocean-to-ocean. And, the woman and son lived happily ever after!
Act. 1: Roundtable - After reading the book, the students should be given the chance to talk about what intrigues, bothers, and confuses them about the book.
Act. 2: The students could re-write the story from a different point of view.
This story is about a beautiful girl, Medusa, who was basically full of herself. She said that she was more beautiful than the goddess, Athena. So, Athena put a spell on the girl, maing her very ugly and causing anyone to turn to stone if they looked at her face. She also told her that one day a boy from the sea would come to kill her. Meanwhile, a woman and her son were found at sea, they accidentally traveled too far and were captured by mean soldiers. The tyrant decided that he wanted to be with the woman and told her son that if he could bring the king back Medusa's head then he would let them both go. And, if he came back empty handed, he would kill both of them. With the help of Athena, the son went looking for Medusa, he found her, cut her head off, and took it back to the tyrant. No one believed that he actually had the head (because if you loked at her, then you turned to stone), so he told his mother to cover her eyes and then he took the head of Medusa out of his bag and showed it to everyone. They all turned to stone. The son put the head back into the bag, and Athena threw into the ocean, where Medusa's blood streamed out and formed coral, from sea-to-sea and ocean-to-ocean. And, the woman and son lived happily ever after!
Act. 1: Roundtable - After reading the book, the students should be given the chance to talk about what intrigues, bothers, and confuses them about the book.
Act. 2: The students could re-write the story from a different point of view.
July 19, 2011
This book is about a Greek myth. There is a daughter born from a sea witch that is cursed for boasting about her beauty as like a goddess and thinking to be more beautiful than Athena. Being cursed by Athena, Medusa's face is disfigured with snakes coming out of her head and is told that she will live out the rest of her life that way until one day she will be slain. She is also told that anyone that looks upon her face will be turned to stone...
Without giving away the ending. This also was a fun story to read. However, I felt that some of the words might be difficult for some younger readers to understand. Most of the sentences seem pretty simple but I would say that this book is a picture book for older kids to read.
Without giving away the ending. This also was a fun story to read. However, I felt that some of the words might be difficult for some younger readers to understand. Most of the sentences seem pretty simple but I would say that this book is a picture book for older kids to read.
September 15, 2011
My daughter (2 1/2) could not sit still for this book. It is rather on the long side.
However, my son (5) very much enjoyed the story and the pictures. The pictures are well done and dramatic without being scary which is important for my kids. The pictures are full of detail and color and you can easily spend a few minutes taking a look at each and every page.
However, my son (5) very much enjoyed the story and the pictures. The pictures are well done and dramatic without being scary which is important for my kids. The pictures are full of detail and color and you can easily spend a few minutes taking a look at each and every page.
October 15, 2016
I was trying to do some very basic research about Medusa herself. Naturally Perseus is a big part of her mythos, but it was still frustrating to see that this book was more about him and his story than about Medusa. The illustrations were beautiful, though!
February 5, 2010
I tried to rate this at three stars, and my daughter said, "That calls for four stars!" Okay then. I thought it was a little wordy.
September 20, 2011
A nice companion to Cupid and Psyche (beautiful girl earns the ill will of corresponding goddess: Venus/Athena), but lacking the K.Y. Craft gorgeousness.
October 11, 2011
beautiful illustrations; an extended version of the story; and an explanation myth for red coral.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews