Iduna and the Magic Apples

Iduna is a fair-haired goddess from ancient Norse mythology who tends a magic garden in the kingdom of Asgard. In her verdant domain, flowers grow alongside clear streams, sweet grass and abundant fruit trees, but the greatest treasure of all is a chest of golden apples that give everlasting youth and vitality to the gods. In this vivid retelling of a haunting tale, disaster strikes when Thiassi, hateful enemy of the gods, succeeds in abducting Iduna and the apples from her paradise. With Iduna imprisoned in a fortress of stone, death haunts the once-invincible gods and the magic garden withers into a perpetual doom. An ominous black raven looks on from the border on each page, lending a spooky touch, but the artworkfor all its careful touches and ornate landscapesis occasionally uneven. Most distressing are the portrayals of Iduna; her image is inconsistent throughout the book. Ages 5-9. (September)