Medea is a princess who wants a bit more excitement in her life. Jason is a hero who needs to bring back a treasure to save his kingdom from his wicked uncle. Can the two of them help each other out? 

This is a great adaptation of the myth of the golden fleece that readers of all ages can enjoy. There’s plenty of action, and the creators’ love of old movies makes for delightful visuals. For example, the dragon-teeth men that threaten Jason are replaced with skeletons à la Ray Harryhausen’s Jason and the Argonauts (1963). The bones fly apart when Jason throws his stone, which provides an age-appropriate alternative to the canonical bloodbath and prepares readers for one of cinema’s finest special effects scenes at the same time. Not only that, Medea gets top billing as an adventurous princess who wants to escape her dull hometown. Instead of an unhealthy romance, author Savior Pirotta gives us a pair of clever co-conspirators. 

Saviour Pirotta and Jan Lewis’ First Greek Myths series provide adaptations of myths perfectly suited for newly independent readers. The text is kid-friendly, and the cartoonish images are colorful and exciting. Kids as young as three can enjoy reading these on their own, with just a little bit of vocabulary help. Affordable copies are readily available on most used book websites. – Krishni Burns