Virginia Sterrett

One of 19th-century America's greatest authors recounts timeless tales from Greek mythology in this delightful partner to A Wonder-Book for Girls and Boys. Nathaniel Hawthorne's evocative interpretations of traditional stories about heroes, sorceresses, kings, and other legendary characters provide young readers and listeners with a spellbinding introduction to classic myths. The adventures begin with "The Minotaur," the tale of an Athenian prince's conquest of a monstrous half-man, half-bull. Other stories include "The Pygmies," concerning a friendly giant and his small-minded neighbors; "The Dragon's Teeth," recounting the birth of a team of warriors and the founding of a city; "Circe's Palace," in which an enchantress matches wits with the trickster Ulysses; "The Pomegranate Seeds," a tale of the underworld; and "The Golden Fleece," the story of an aspiring king and his quest for the shining symbol that will win a throne.

A wonderful book by Sophie Rostopchine, Comtesse De Segur (1799-1874) of 5 timeless French fairy tales, magnificently illustrated with beautiful and dramatic black-and-white drawings by Virginia Frances Sterrett (1900-1931). De Segur, a French writer of Russian descent, wrote numerous books, the most famous of which was Les Malheurs de Sophie (Sophie's Misfortunes). Done when she was only 19 years of age, this was Chicago-born Sterrett's first book. She is often called the "female Kay Nielsen," referring to the renowned Danish fairy tale illustrator.