With splendid full-page and double-spread paintings and a text presented in a graceful antique typeface, Mayer and Craft have produced an appealing picture book for readers who love Greek myths. The story of Pegasus, the winged horse, and the young hero Bellerophon is smoothly told in a style that lends itself to reading aloud.

The large, oil-over-watercolor illustrations, each delicately bordered with a decorative frame, seem to take their inspiration from the grand style of 18th-century classicism and the imaginative, scenic prospects of 19th-century romantic landscapes. They capture the drama of the mythic tale. Mayer bases the story on careful research in the standard collections of Greek myths and adds a touching ending by describing the friendship between man and horse, a bond that would last beyond the shared adventure. Pegasus, with its magical tale and rich paintings, is a fine example of the quality of writing and of art that can be achieved in the picture-book format.