Reference Reviews

Doug’s Student Reference Room

Monsters: The Minotaur. Mary Schulte. 48 p. Detroit: Kidhaven Press, 2008. ISBN 13: 978-0-7377-3590-1; ISBN 10: 0-7377-3590-2. $26.20.

This volume does an outstanding job of recounting the origins of the mythical creature and includes a lengthy re-telling of the Minotaur’s encounter with Theseus in the labyrinth. The final chapter provides numerous examples of the Minotaur’s enduring legacy in popular culture. From renderings in ancient Greek art to PlayStation characters to a rocket in the U.S. space program, the formidable Minotaur lives on. This volume creates drama in its storytelling, and the chapter on ties to popular culture is highly entertaining. Highly recommended for school and public libraries.
—Doug Achterman