Stolen Hearts

Gr 6 Up—Foley retells one of the most famous love stories of all time, and it is certainly beautiful to behold. Banerjee's lovely, jewel-toned paintings will keep readers' eyes glued to the page as they follow the suspenseful twists and turns of this classic tale. This adaptation begins and ends with the framing device of a teacher telling the story to her lovelorn student. This is a good narrative choice for sharing this story with young readers—they "hear" the teacher explain the story and respond to her student's questions and exclamations along the way. The story of Eros and Psyche has more ups and downs than a roller coaster, as love, jealousy, and trust are all stretched to their breaking points. Ultimately (*spoiler alert*) true love prevails, even though it is challenged by family obligations and by death itself. This is a good adaptation of an old story, and one that will entice today's readers.—Andrea Lipinski, New York Public Library