The Minotaur of Knossos

Luca is in his room with his dog Pip, finishing his homework on the ancient civilization of the island of Crete. Tired of the strenuous report writing, the little boy falls asleep, only to wake up perched on a curious alabaster seat in a hall surrounded by pillars and wall paintings of griffins. A friendly voice explains that he is in the palace of the great King Minos, ruler of the Cretans, and tells him some fascinating facts about this ancient people. It turns out that the voice belongs to Sir Arthur Evans, the famous archaeologist who discovered the remains of the palace.
Luca wanders around the building in search of his dog, and finds something that looks like Pip's leash. Pulling on it, he brings out the terrifying, angry Minotaur--a monster with a bull's head and a human body. Shocked, Luca falls to the ground, but a second later finds himself back in his room with Pip by his side. A three-page appendix at the end of the book goes back through the ages to tell us more about the ancient inhabitants of Crete, the hero Theseus, Ariadne's thread, and the Minotaur.