GAIA ALESSI: LITTLE MINOTAUR
Published by Walker Books, Gaia’s debut picture book takes a story you think you know and turns it on its head, reimagining Asterion not as a monster to be slain, but as a bull-headed boy growing up in a family who love him.
The idea began with a small Etruscan clay cup Gaia remembers from childhood holidays spent among Italy's archaeological sites, showing the infant Minotaur held tenderly on his mother's lap. That single image remained with Gaia, and it’s the quiet, curious heart beating underneath this whole book. In this retelling of the classic myth, we meet the gentle half-boy, half-bull who loves his family. The book asks: what if we got the story wrong? We follow Asterion and his sister Ariadne through summer days in Crete, and eventually out into the wider world. But as Asterion grows, he must fight against the rumours trying to shape him into a monster. He must find his voice… and change fate on his own terms.
Gaia's light blue Asterion is inspired by Desi cattle, and set against a soft palette drawn from the frescoes of the Palace of Knossos. Read our interview with Gaia Alessi to find out how she designed him, and which spread is her favourite.
Gaia Alessi is represented by Arena Illustration.