This book is part of Grupo Editorial Luis Vives’ series Colección Mitos Clasicos. It is a lively retelling of the Greek myth of Prometheus, from the creation of all the animals on the earth, to his punishment for stealing fire for humankind and eventual rescue. In the middle, author Ricardo Gómez also recounts the myth of Pandora. The eventful narrative is made even more exciting by the book’s busy, colorful illustrations. The characters are full of expression, and they seem to be in constant motion.  

The book doesn’t hide the crueler aspects of these myths. Prometheus is punished in the same horrible way in this book as he is in the ancient myth, but the illustrations spare the reader the blood and gore. Pandora is guilty of breaking her promise, but rather than shame her, the text gives Zeus all the credit for the evil plan. The book also makes several references to other myths that connect to Prometheus and Pandora, including the labors of Hercules and Deucalion’s flood. 

This version of the Prometheus myth includes some fun new twists to flesh out the story. My favorite is that Prometheus and his brother Epimetheus have a good sibling relationship, and they work together to populate the earth. They decide as a team to make a two-legged creature, and Epimetheus’s attempts result in all the species of great apes!

There is an afterword that will spark readers’ interest. Among other things, it points out some biblical parallels to the flood myth and calls out the machismo of the Pandora myth. There’s even a paragraph on how the myth of Prometheus inspired Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein!

The book is published in Spain, which makes it a little hard to find in the United States. Still, persistent searches on various online booksellers’ websites will turn up copies for sale, and you can order the book through the website of the publisher, Edelvives (Grupo Editorial Luis Vives). – Krishni Burns