Beehive Books is transforming Nathaniel Hawthorne’s classic retellings of Greek mythology through fifteen original paintings by acclaimed Spanish artist Das Pastoras. The oversized art book, A Wonder Book, brings new visual power to iconic figures like Perseus, Hercules, and King Midas.
The project represents a meeting of masters across time — Hawthorne’s groundbreaking 1851 adaptation that made Greek myths accessible to young readers, and Das Pastoras’ vivid contemporary artwork that captures the epic scale of these timeless tales. Director Guillermo del Toro writes in the introduction that Das Pastoras’ illustrations have “suffused these tales and the Romantic breath of their author with urgency and relevance.”
Beyond the artwork, this new edition includes essays exploring the book’s influence on children’s literature and its rich illustration history. It’s being published in three formats — a standard hardcover, a numbered edition of 300 copies, and a lettered edition of 26 featuring metal plates and original drawings.
“No epoch of time can claim a copyright in these immortal fables,” wrote Hawthorne in his original preface. “They seem never to have been made; and certainly, so long as man exists, they can never perish; but, by their indestructibility itself, they are legitimate subjects for every age to clothe with its own garniture of manners and sentiment.”
The campaign for the art book has already raised over $23,000 on Kickstarter, with 27 days remaining.
Previously:
• Greek statue from 110 BCE of a girl showing her mom a laptop computer
