THE MIDAS TOUCH
adapted by Jan Mark
As have so many others this season, Mark (The Tale of Tobias, 1996, etc.) retells the terrifying story of King Midas and the lesson of greed. King Midas is good king, but his desire for gold tempts him to accept the offer from Dionysus of a solitary wish. He acquires his golden touch only to learn that it can’t replace the joys of eating delicious food or watching living things grow. Omitted entirely from this version is any mention of Midas’s daughter; the focus is the loss of physical pleasures—eating, clothing, etc.—that is behind his desire to have the wish overturned. The intricate mosaic patterns of the illustrations shift from multi- colored to golden as the world of King Midas is transformed, until even the dust in the air that lands on him turns to gold dust. The introduction’s discussion of satyrs, hamadryads, and centaurs sets up a supernatural tone that differentiates this from many other versions of the story. (Picture book/folklore. 5-9)