They say the old stories are often the best – and it’s true. So I was overjoyed to see some gorgeous little re-tellings of Greek myths from Barefoot Books. Small, pint-sized, firm paperbacks, with colourful, stylised drawings to entice a child to open the book.

The stories are retold by Hugh Lupton and Daniel Morden, who hit the spot with a combination of spellbinding, unpatronising prose, and a level of vocabulary just enough to entrance yet challenge the confident reader.

These books — Orpheus and Eurydice, Demeter and Persephone, Theseus and the Minotaur (all £5.99) — are just what’s needed to encourage children to read, and love, the classics. In fact, this is what Summertown-based Barefoot Books specialises in: story books, classic stories, folk tales. They have a range of books for various ages, all clearly labelled with age-guidance, and various levels of ability. All bright, colourful, appealing stuff.

While we’re on the subject, let’s not forget honest-to-goodness fairy stories. Oxford author Philip Pullman’s Grimm Tales for Young and Old (Penguin, £8.99) has just been released in paperback. If you think you don’t need fairy tales, or you are too old for them, think again. Pullman’s versions are worth reading. Each is topped off with a snippet about the tale and its origins. You’ll discover for yourself that a fairy tale is not a set text, but a story for each narrator to enrich and elaborate. Enjoy.

Philippa Logan