Just in time for Valentine's Day, here is Cupid, by Julius Lester. In this retelling from Greek mythology, we are introduced to Psyche. She is the daughter of a king and so beautiful that every time she walks outside people stopped and stared. They even stopped working. In fact, it was getting so bad that it was affecting the infrastructure of her community--and not in a good way. Her father, the king, felt it was in the best interest of his kingdom and his subjects to restrict Psyche from her daily walks. He decreed that she could only walk outside the castle gates once a month.
Word quickly reached Mount Olympus about the young beauty and the effect she was having on the other humans. Venus, the goddess of love, was not pleased at all when she learned of this young woman, She viewed her as a threat and decided to dispatch her son, Cupid, to do away with her. Never one to disappont his mother, Cupid quickly plans how he will get rid of this pesky human. However, when Cupid lays his eyes on Psyche, he is immediately stunned by her beauty, and he falls in love with her himself. He vows that she will become his wife, but he is reluctant to let his mother in on his little plan as she is a formidable force with which to be reckoned.
