I wouldn't think that the tragedies of Sophocles would make interesting books for younger readers, but I was proven wrong. 'The Story of Antigone' by Ali Smith with illustrations by Laura Paoletti is a very good adaptation of the famous drama.

The story starts on the battlefield in the aftermath of a terrible slaughter. Our narrator is a crow, which is morbid and a perfect choice as a witness to the events. Antigone wants to bury her vanquished brother, but King Creon, the victor, wants no such thing. What follows is a struggle between a headstrong king and a young woman who would stand up to him. The outcome is tragic, but the lesson of being willing to give your all for what you believe in rings true today.

The illustrations are in earth tones and are quite good. It's a pretty dark story, but the narrator and a stray dog have a few moments to lighten things up. There is also a question and answer at the end between Crow and the adapter Ali. This is a very good adaptation for younger readers.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Pushkin Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.