Maria Schubert adapts a famous short story written by Greek author Andreas Karkavitsas. The story is inspired by a folktale about Alexander the Great’s sister Thessalonike. She accidentally took her brother’s elixir of immortality and was cursed to wander the seas in the form of a fish-tailed gorgon for all eternity. For centuries, she has asked sailors if her brother yet lives, and the wrong answer puts the whole ship in danger. The Karkavitsas short story is a testament to the enduring power of myth, history, and memory, and that sentiment permeates this picturebook adaptation. Its plot is identical to its model, but the lyrical descriptions are replaced with Michalis Kasapis’ distinctive illustrations that drown the pages in color. The picturebook was created to introduce children to Karkavitsas’ work, so it’s a good choice for young readers and students of modern Greek. However, the language is still richly descriptive, and the themes are complex, so I’d also recommend it to readers with good reading comprehension skills. – Krishni Burns