Persephone
Persephone, by Sally Pomme Clayton, is the story of Persephone, the daughter of the Greek goddess Demeter. Persephone is abducted by Hades, and taken to the underworld. While Persephone is gone, her mother, Demeter, grieves and nothing grows on the Earth. Earth begins to die, so Zeus sends Hermes to Hades to bring Persephones home. Even though she had eaten nothing while she was there, Persephone eats three pomegranate seeds before she leaves. Because of this, Persephone must return to Hades for three months each year. During that time, we experience winter and nothing grows, as Demeter once again grieves her daughters loss.
Persephone is a good resource to use durning a unit on mythology or when you are discussing the changing seasons. It would be best used for upper elementary grades. The illustrations are pretty, but not the bright, cheerful colors that younger students tend to enjoy.
