Reviews (2)

Excellent stories for an Early Reader
Short, literate stories, each with a moral, allowing a child to get the idea of drawing a generalization from a story. The brevity makes them understandable as wholes and a manageable size for older children to read (my four-year-old child finds them interesting enough to motivate her reading and short enough to permit success). My favorite editions of these tales place one fable and illustration per page. More at strongbrains.com.

Not quite for children...
The short stories attributed to Aesop have been around for over 2,500 years. Many times no longer than a paragraph is enough for the reader to see the moralistic truth of the world around us summed up in a brief encounter between animals. The illustrations are well done and will be appreciated by adults, but for the most part were not created for children. The vocabulary and grammar can also be difficult for young children on their own, but will be understood if it is read to them with the proper pauses and inflections. Every fable has its moral underneath it. Many of them children will recognize from other storybooks. Every teacher should have a collection of Aesop's fables. Although this edition is not the best for young children it would still make an excellent addition to the classroom library.

Why 4 stars?:
While I do feel this is a good book to read to children and to show the illustrations to. It will be too difficult for them to read on their own. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Extremely Useful and Entertaining
This text was my first major teaching assignment and both I and the students enjoyed this book of mythology. Evslin is an easy read and a very compelling storyteller. It's wonderful beginners book as well as an excellent reference. The book contain all of the major gods, concentrating on their origins and major myths that involve each one. Heroes such as Perseus, Theseus, Atalanta, and Daedalus are included. I was disappointed that Hercules was not included; however, his mythology is rather long and widely known, which is probably why it was left out. Other myths included: King Midas, Pygmalion, Echo and Psyche, Phaethon and many others. This is an excellent source for beginners and students. If you are already versed in Greek mythology, you may find the lack of certain myths discouraging, but I do encourage you to revisit a wonderful telling of myths that probably got you interested in Greek mythology in the first place.

I LUV THIS BOOK!
For a totally long time my mom has been bugging me to read this book. I didn't want to caus' it was all shriveled and old-looking. A typical classicy kind of book. It was all YELLOWISH, the color of cury. (Did I spell that right? Whatever.) Anyways I started reading to get her off my back and I got totally hooked! I had absolutely no idea that this shredded up lump of paper would be so good! It was great! Okay I know I sounding a bit over-eager but this book is so cool. I read it over and over again. Well not REALLY but I did read SOME of the stories twice. I like Hermes, he sounds really sharp and funny. I think I can actually picture him as a cute little baby and Apollo making a deal in a large airy cave. The uniqueness (it took me a long time think up a word,) about greek stories is that they rarely end happily. Though the punishments for the bad and usually the innocent are kind of exciting. Somebody nice always has to die. Zeus sounds like avery funny person, always running off and seducing women-I feel sorry for Hera though. But I think what she did to Echo was really mean. I like Poseidon and Hades. They sound really... I don't know. Interesting? Maybe. I don't really understand the story of Eros and Psyche. If you know, please tell me. Dinner time, gotta go.

The book
I didn't think that the book was all that great... the author alludes to other Gods, but then doesn't include them in the book. He does this with other types of stories too. For the purpose of the book, as an informational book, it hits the topics dead on. It's not that bad, but I don't think that it deserves 5 stars

The beginning of a lifelong passion
I first met this book through a series of LP records in my local library as a child; I later read the book. It's still my favorite telling of the Greek myths, and it spawned a facination for the folklore and mythology that has been a great source of pleasure for my entire life (I'm now in my late thirties). I can't recommend this book enough, regardless of the reader's age; Evslin's telling of them gives life and personality to the characters that can't be found in any other version of the myths.

Enthralling
I picked up this book at the library on a whim one day, when I just happened to be poking around the non-fiction section (very uncharacteristic of me). Now, this book may be non-fiction because the writer didn't invent the stories, but it reads just as interestingly as a fiction book. I knew a bit about Greek mythology, and was vaguely interested in it, but after reading this book, I want all the Greek mythology books that I can get my hands on and am even considering studying it in college.

Don't let the low reading level discourage you--I found this in the adult section, and it's undoubtedly where it belongs! This book can aid in understanding words and references to Greek myths in everyday life, and I never knew there were so many of them! If you're interested in learning more about Greek mythology, this would definitely be a GREAT place to start. ... Read more

Book Description

The most complete collection of Greek and Roman myths specially arranged to be read aloud to children aged five to twelve. "Every child deserves this book. Those who do the reading aloud will be enlightened and rewarded, too."--Edwin Newman Line drawings. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Classic Myths to Read Aloud
This is a book that explains things about Greek Mythology. The beginning of the book is about the creating of the gods and godess of Mt. Olympus and the beginning of man. In the middle of the book it tells different stories and different morals to the mortals down on earth. At the end of the it tells how the other countries and the cities take the Greek ideas and make them their own, like Rome.
The way I found out about this great book is by my mother , She saw me doing nothing so she told me to read this book. So I started to read it and I got so interested in this book. If I had to recommened this book to someone the person would probably like it because in every story they make it have so much adventure.
My favorite part in this book is when the Queen of Greece Helen gets captured by the people of troy. So the Greeks made a hollow horse and sent it to the people of troy,but in the horse was Greek soldiers. At night when everyone was asleep the Greeks attacked the people of troy. And at the end she retured to her home Greece. Thi is the of the book review.

Classic Myths to Read Aloud
This book is about the ancient Greek Myths. The beginning of the book is the forming of the Greek Gods and Godess came to be like : Zeus and Hera. The middle of the book is mainly about how Hercules gets Pegasus the flying horse and how they become friends and kill the bad monsters. The last part of the book is about how the people of different places get these ideas like Rome.
I started to read this book by when I was bored and grounded so I picked up this book and started to read it. Also if I had to recommend this book to one of my friends they would probably like it because it shows the history of ancient people,also it is good because of the adventure of what would happen to them.
My favorite part of this book is when the queen of Greece got captured by the people of troy. So the Greecks went and made a horse that was hollow and the soliders had to go inside the horse and went into the gates of troy. Then at night all the soldiers came out of the horse and killed all the people that lived in troy. and that's the end of the book review.

A great book to read to your child class
I started reading this book to my second grader and she was fascinated. I read the Iliad and Odyssey to her second grade class and they were completely mesmerized (it helped that I read the story of the Cyclops from Classics to Read Aloud). The information at both the beginning and ending of each story is invaluable for classroom discussion.

my seventh grade students loved these stories
Though I teach ancient history, I have kearned to include all aspects of the culture, including relevant literature. During Dr.Suess's birthday week, I read a classical myth a day. The students loved them! The reading of these myths sparked enthusiasm like I have never seen before. We explored the relevancy of these myths to today's standards. What was suppossed to take 10-15 minutes, often continued to the next class period. I have found a new and effective teaching tool.

Outstanding retellings that will hold your kids' attention!
Our daughters are 6 and 10, and we have read from Russell's book for five years. Both girls seek the book out, and they enjoy listening to the stories as much as I enjoy reading them.

Having studied Roman mythology when I took Latin, I was a little worried about some of the content--let's face it, the gods and goddesses were sometimes violent, more often randy--and I wasn't sure how the girls would react to some of the goings-on. But Russell does a terrific job minimizing some of the less pleasant events without glossing over them.

And, of course, the stories and messages are truly timeless. And there's no better way that I've found to introduce children to the Odyssey, the Iliad, and other epics like them.

Our family gives Classic Myths a ringing endorsement for anyone with kids. ... Read more

Book Description

"Little Mouse. Big Lion. Big, big trouble. Who will save the mouse? Who will

save the lion?" This simple retelling of the classic Aesop fable will be a

treat for kids and their parents as an adventurous mouse proves that even small

creatures are capable of great deeds--like rescuing the King of the Jungle.

With big, bold illustrations by Lisa McCue and large type, this Early Step

into Reading book is perfect for kids just beginning to learn how to read.




... Read more

Reviews (1)

The Lion and the Mouse
My 4 year old daughter really loves this book. I read it to her almost ever night. The words are easy for her to read and understand. ... Read more

Amazon.com

No education is complete without a large slice of Greek mythology. And there's no better way of meeting that literary quota than with the D'Aulaires' book. All the great gods and goddesses of ancient Greece are depicted in this big, beautiful classic, lovingly illustrated and skillfully told. Young readers will be dazzled by mighty Zeus, lord of the universe; stirred by elegant Athena, goddess of wisdom; intimidated by powerful Hera, queen of Olympus; and chilled by moody Poseidon, ruler of the sea. These often impetuous immortals flounce and frolic, get indiscreet, and get even. From petty squabbles to heroic deeds, their actions cover the range of godly--and mortal--personalities.

The D'Aulaires' illustrations have a memorable quality: once pored over, they will never leave the minds of the viewer. Decades later, the name Gaea will still evoke the soft green picture of lovely Mother Earth, her body hills and valleys and her eyes blue lakes reflecting the stars of her husband, Uranus the sky. No child is too young to appreciate the myths that have built the foundation for much of the world's art and literature over the centuries.This introduction to mythology is a treasure. (Ages 10 to adult) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (78)

Should be required reading!
I checked this book out of the library dozens of times as a child. The stories and intrigue of the Greek pantheon, combined with the outstanding illustrations, make this book a must-read for any child (or adult) with more than a passing interest in history, or religion or mythology. To this day, not having seen the book in nearly 20 years, I can recall vividly the illustration of Argus with his hundred eyes, standing in Hera's chamber. Or Athena, springing fully formed from Zeus' head. Another thing I like is that the authors didn't sugarcoat any of the Greek myths, which were as red in tooth and claw as Nature herself. To me, that would have destroyed the impact and power of these stories. This book is truly a classic of kids' literature.

A treasure from my childhood.
This book has been in print for at least 40 years. It was my introduction to Greek mythology when I was in elementary school in the early 60s. Now, a very educated middle aged man who has read Homer, Hesiod, Ovid, the Athenian playwrights, and all the great literature based on the mythology, I can tell you that 75% of my basic knowledge of these myths still comes from my devouring, re-reading, absorbing D'Aulaire in what can only be called a child's fantasy paradise. I have no children, but if I did and could gift them as I was gifted, I would count myself a successful parent if I did nothing more than introduce them to this book. The gorgeous illustrations are still burned in my memory. How any team of writers could depict Kronos devouring his children, Arachne being transformed into a spider, and so forth, and not make it frightening to a small child--well, this book is a miracle. Check it out and may your family cherish it.

Audio Book is captivating, enchanting and wonderful
No need for a lot of words here, it is just excellent, and probably my favorite audio book ever. The talents of Broderick, Poiter, Newman and Turner simply inspire me. Enthralling, interesting, as well as addictive.

This is the Basics.
An adult friend gave me a ripped but still good book of this
, I read it, and there was the start of my myth-mania.

Great Book, even better on tape
These stories hold my 6-year-old spellbound, as well as the rest of the family! Consider getting the audio version, though, read by Paul Neuman, Kathleen Turner, Matthew Broderick and Sidney Poitier. Talk about great listening! Their readings are fantastic. And you don't have to worry about properly pronouncing all those Greek names! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Mary Pope Osborn retells her favorite Greek myths
The really nice thing about "Favorite Greek Myths" is that Mary Pope Osborne has not simply picked the most famous or most popular stories from classical mythology. Once you read the stories of Ceyx and Alcyone or Callisto and Arcus I think that is pretty clear. Each of these dozen stories focuses on a pair of mythological figures, from parents and children like Phaeton and Helios, to lovers like Echo and Narcissus, to gods and mortals like Minerva and Arachne. The fact that Osborne uses Minerva rather than Athena reflects the Latin origins of these particular Greek myths. With the exception of the story of Cupid and Psyche, first told by the Latin writer Apuleius, all of the myths retold by Osborne come from the "Metamorphoses" of the Latin poet Ovid. Each story is accompanied by a full-color painting by Troy Howell that is evocative of the artwork of Pyle and those from a century ago. The back of the book includes a list of the "Gods, Goddesses and Mortals," as well as "Modern Words With Greek Origins," both of which teachers and students alike will find useful. "Favorite Greek Myths" works well as both an introduction to this series of classic myths or as a next step up for those who have read more juvenile accounts of these same stories. Osborne adopts her writing style to each tale, so that the comic elements are heightened in Bacchus and King Midas while the tragedy tones are enhanced in the story of Orpheus and Eurydice. This is an excellent book to turn to once young readers have an understanding of the pantheon of classical deities and want to savor individual myths.

Top Quality, A Suggested Buy For a Beginner of Mythology
This book was pretty informative and told every story very accurately, which is very goood. Some mythology books these days don't always tell the story the same way and then you have contradicting information. But, ont thing that bothered me throughout the whole book was that the title of the book is Favortite Greek Myths, but clearly they use the Roman names for all of the gods and characters. This can be somewhat misleading. They also focus on some of the gods that are more minor and ignore more popular ones, which I am critisizing. But I have always loved the stry of Daphne and Apollo, and this book has the best version I've ever heard of it. It also includes other stories about Echo and Narcissus, King Midas, Hades kidnapping Persephone, and Arachne, all classics in Greek folklore. Onne thing that was also very useful was that there was a passage in the back of the book giving the names and occupations of each god and goddess. The color paintings in the book are also very beautiful and describe the story, and are therefore well-chosen. This book is very good for beginers of mythology (it was my first mythology book and is very good for children), but not recomended for advanced mythologists. Though the stories are brief and quick to get to their point, they are still informative enough to get the plot. That's why the book is so good for kids. It's really nice to share Greek mythology with kids early because all during junior high you have to study about it (trust me, I'm fourteen), and it's helpful to already know something about before you start. And this book is a good source for that sort of thing.

WOW
I took mythology in college and loved it. I had lost the text book though and it was sadly missed! I love art and collect books! This is a beautiful book, with beautiful art! The illustrator also did work on the time life series enchanted world, which I own the entire collection so it was a pleasant suprise to see his illustrations for this book. The stories are wonderful, some I remember some I didn't. I read it from cover to cover and will cherish it! Hopefully she'll write more greek myths, a series! I plan on getting her other book, Favorite medievil tales, I'll write a review either way! If you appreciate beautiful art and good stories this is a must have for any library, I'll pass this one on to my children!

Childhood Nostalgia!
I received this book for Christmas one year when I was a child ... it enchanted me for hours. The illustrations, as I remember, were wonderful and so were the stories. If you were to buy this book for your inquisitive child, they would NOT be disappointed. ... Read more

Reviews (28)

A wonderful and exciting excursion
The adventures of Ulysses is a excellent book. It was fun, exciting and filled with irony. It always keeps you wondering what is going to happen, and keeps you at the egde of your chair. There was no best part of the story, the whole adventure was thrilling. He was faced with many challanges and was able to over come them all! For examle when Ulysses was in the cave with the Cyclops he was very clever; he tricked the Cyclops and got him drunk by drinking unwatered wine. Then he stabbed him in his one and only eye, which left him blinded and Ulysses escaped the cave by the help of rams. Ulysses was faced with many enemys, Poseidon was his greatest. Poseidon put a curse on Ulysses which made his voyage home very difficult. Like Circe said, Ulysses was sly like a fox; he got home to Ithaca in "the Return."

Man or Myth?
Ulysses. His adventures are beyond imagination. This book is really exciting to me. After fighting the Trojan Wars, it took him 10 long years to get back to Ithaca, his home. On his way, he battled and tricked the great one-eyed Cyclops, sailed to the world of Darkness, visited the Underworld, and even encountered the Sirens and Apollo's flock of golden sheep. Not only that, he and his crewmembers had to sail in a perfect way between two rocks to avoid being eaten and dashed to pieces by rocks, but he was able to survive and reach home.

The main character in the story is Ulysses. I liked the way in which Ulysses not only fought bravely, despite the members of his crew that betrayed him, but used his wit to help overcome obstacles. Ulysses was faced with numerous obstacles, harsh decisions, and enemies, all trying to prevent him from returning home and to his wife, Penelope. Ulysses was able to overcome every obstacle and make his way home, even though he lost all of his crewmembers.

I enjoyed this book because this is a book of action and adventure. It is also a book of betrayal, decisions, and bloodshed. I just can't put down the book once I started reading it. This is a great book, and I really enjoyed reading it. I recommend this book to anyone, young or old alike, to people with a taste of adventure.

This Book is Interesting
I have read The Adventures of Ulysses and I think it is a great book. It has much action in it, like sailing past monsters, and using the wind to get Ulysses and his men home. The book is full of interesting and unique monsters that all do many different things. The one bad part about the book is that there are many hard names to pronounce. If you're too lazy to get the book and read it yourself, at least get the book on tape. The narrorator isn't annoying or weird. This book is good for anyone who enjoys books about battles and fights between men, monsters, and ancient greek gods. Buy this book, you'll make someone very, very wealthy and they might need the money. Please, buy this book I will be happy. :)

Cool Book
This was a riveting book. The plot is action-packed, the characters superbly developed. I highly recommend it!

This book is so terrible it doesnt even deserve one star!!!!
This book was unbelievably boring. All it talked about was this man who went to islands. He cheated on his wife like three times and even when one person turned all his friends into pigs. I despise this book it should be in the literary hall of Shame this book is supposed to be read to students in the sixth grade. i dont think it should be because of how seductive it is. I think that no child under 16 should read it because of how in appropriate it is. I t is also very boring too. there are many scenes where it desribes the blood and violence in horrific detail and some parts are just discusting. i have read many books and this is by far the worst one i have EVER read. ... Read more

Book Description

After struggling against the gods and his fate for more than twenty years, Odysseus has returned to Ithaca at last. But things have changed: his island has been overrun by suitors who clamor for his wife's hand in marriage and plague his son, Telemachus. With the help of the gray-eyed goddess, Athena, Odysseus and Telemachus must set out to regain control of Ithaca. In the last book of the series based on episodes from Homer's Odyssey, Mary Pope Osborne brings one of the greatest adventures of all time to a dramatic climax. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

a great book, but not for my classroom
While I appreciate this book for its beautiful, large illustrations, I wish I had browsed the table of contents before purchasing it. I had intended to use this book with my first grade class because we are studying Aesop's Fables. However, since two of the fables in this book contain the word "ass," this book is not appropriate for my classroom. I have no problem using it with my own children, however, so I'm not sorry that I bought it!

Beautiful, but not what I expected
It is true - the drawings in this book are beautiful. However, I was hoping that the telling of the fables would have more of the original flavor. The stories have been updated to at least the 20th century. I am sure that when Aesop told the stories, the Country Mouse and the City Mouse didn't have to dodge automobiles and miss stepping in bubblegum. It was misleading that Aesop is listed as "editor" because the stories are not as he told them.

The overall messages (ie morals) are there. I just was disappointed that it was so updated. I'm sure that serves its purpose, but it wasn't what I wanted.

A beautiful book
I am starting my collection of children's books for my son. He is still a baby, but he loves to look at the big, interesting, and colorful pictures in this book. It is nice because there are very short stories for times when baby is particularly wriggley and it is time for bed, and longer stories for a growing attention span. He just likes the pictures right now. He tries to touch the animals on the pages. I like the fables because they teach good morals. This is one of those books that stays high on the bookshelf and can be a treasure for generations.

Classic Fables with Classic Illustrations
This is a beautiful classic book you'll want to give to your children and your grandchildren. There is at least one large beautiful illustration for each fable. The text size could be a bit larger, but the illustrations more than make up for it. The moral of each fable is at the bottom of the page. ... Read more

Book Description

When Odysseus must leave his home to fight the Trojan War, he never imagines that heíll be away from his family for so many years.Now, at long last, he is leading his men home across the seas.But many dangers await them ñ and none is more terrifying than Polyphemus, the one-eyed giant. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Fun to read together as a family!
Mary Pope Osborne does an excellant job of retelling the infamous tale on a level that children (and adults!) can enjoy. My husband and I read the books to our two sons. They looked forward to it every evening. The books had a lot of action so they were never bored with the story and couldn't wait to hear what happened next! We are waiting anxiuosly for the final book #6 to be released.

Great intro to Greek Mythology - but very short book
This is a great way to introduce your child to Greek mythology. My 8 year old daughter read this book in 2 hours. My only complaint is that they used huge letters and spacings on the pages. There is more text per page in the Magic Tree House books. This book is really comparable to a 70 page chapter book and costs more.

An easy intro to Homer's tales!
Because my kids have learned so much from the Magic Tree House Series, I read this aloud to my 7 year old daughter and 4 year old son. Both were fascinated. We read this in one day, because we all wanted to find out what happened next! (They did find the One-Eyed Giant pretty scary, so I wouldn't recommend it for kids prone to nightmares.)

Also, I appreciated the glossary, to help with pronouncing names. I'll definitely get the others in this series -- Excellent!

I read it in one day it was so good!
This book was exciting, tense and kept me reading it. I love Ms. Osborne's style of writing. I ran out and bought the 2nd book the next day, and finished it that day.

My favorite part was when they met the one eyed giant.

Austin
Age 10 ... Read more

Book Description

Travel back to a mythical time when Achilles, aided by the gods, waged war against the Trojans. And join Odysseus on his journey through murky waters, facing obstacles like the terrifying Scylla and whirring Charybdis, the beautiful enchantress Circe, and the land of the raging Cyclôpes. Using narrative threads from The Iliad and The Odyssey, Padraic Colum weaves a stunning adventure with all the drama and power that Homer intended. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Warning: archaic language
This is a very well-written book -- for its time. I find that the archaic language make it unsuited for reading to children. (It is filled with "thee", "thou," "raiment," etc.) I had to practically translate the conversations between the characters for my son. For example Achilles says: "Deem'st thou I grieve for ..."

I still read it to my son (with plenty of translation and paraphrasing), and he still thoroughly enjoys the Homeric epic. But I think a more contemporary rendering would have been much better.

Even 9 and 10 year olds love it!
I read this book to my Grade 4 class with some initial reservations, thinking it would be beyond them. THEY LOVED IT! A couple of brighter ones were particularly interested in Greek myths before I started, and they helped to spark the whole class, but they all were able to understand it. I checked with the class a number of times to see if they wanted me to continue, and it was always a unanimous YES! Knowing that the Odyssey and the Illiad are considered the greatest stories of all time, and such ancient, ancient stories, really hooked them in them. Padraic Colum's language is sophisticated, and the sentence structure is complex, but it is so lyrical and clean, the kids seemed caught in a spell listening to it. One of the lovely things about reading classics to children, is that they see how imbedded in our culture they are. For instance, they could recognize Homer's influence in cartoons and T.V. shows! When we finished, one of the rich discussion topics was how Homer's and the early Greeks' view of women affects our society today. A number of parents expressed gratitude and awe that I would read such sophisticated literature to young children, and were highly impressed with their children's interest in it.

A Beautiful Adaptation of Classics for Children
Padraic Colum (1881-1972) saw the need to introduce the classics to young children. In 1918 he published this book The Children's Homer which combines the retelling of both Homer's Illiad and Odyssey. It is obvious that his idea and his book has stood the test of time since this book is now in reprint for our children to learn from today. The few illustrations are by Willy Pogany and are well done. This is an excellent way to introduce our children or the younger student to the classics.
Simon & Schuster's Aladdin Paperback published this edition and on the back cover they offer a web site of www.SimonSaysKids.com for all who are interested.

This is a terrible Book
I hated. I like most books but this one was terrible. I had to read it for school. One person in my whole class liked it, most of the kids in my class did not even understand it . Never get this book for a kid. Teachers if you want to teach your kids to like to read get somthing else not this.

Childrens Homer
This is the worst book i have ever read!!!!!! Never read it!!!! It is soooooo boring! Are English teacher made us read it! Don't read it! ... Read more

Book Description

Long, long ago in ancient Greece, people began telling wonderful stories to explain the mysteries of life. These myths featured gods and goddesses, mighty beings who look human but have amazing powers and live forever. Now you can meet these extraordinary characters and hear their legends, brought to life again by Aliki in this splendid, panoramic look at the amazing stories and characters of Greek legend. "[Will meet the] demand for basic information on the gods and goddesses at the primary level."—BL. "Aliki's fans will welcome her introduction to these famous Greeks."—SLJ.

1994 "Pick of the Lists" (ABA) ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Children will learn how the Olympians gained their thrones
"The Gods and Goddesses of Olympus" provides two-page spreads on the fourteen major deities of Greek mythology. The large print text provides three or four paragraphs of description of how each was born, their responsibilities, and some of the myths associated with them. Children will enjoy Aliki's colorful full and half-page illustrations for each god(desses) and can match the details from the text with elements of the pictures. This is an excellent intermediary book on classical mythology, which provides more than the bare boned descriptions of an introductory effort, but without getting into detail.

I was expecting that this book would simply go through the pantheon of major gods and goddesses of Greek mythology, but the first-third is devoted to telling the story of how the Olympians came to rule. Aliki begins with the creation of Gaea, the Earth, from the dark space of Chaos, and Uranus, the sky. Gaea then gave birth to the first gods, the Titans, as well as the Cyclopes and Hectaoncheires. Cronus, the youngest of the Titans overthrows Uranus and becomes Lord of the Universe, but afraid that one of his children might overthrow him in turn, he swallows each of his children as he is born. But his wife Rhea tricks Cronus into swallowing a stone instead of their youngest child, Zeus. Eventually Zeus rescues his siblings, overthrows Cronus and the Olympians take their thrones.

Teachers and parents should anticipate that young readers are going to have some questions about the rather strange marital relationships of the Greek gods. After all, Gaea gives birth to Uranus and then bears him children. Both Cronus and Zeus marry their sisters, who also bear children. The explanation that there are different rules for the gods might not sit too well with them. But then just remember, Socrates had some questions about the morality of these gods as well (he wondered why if when humans did what the gods did and it was considered wrong, then why was it considered right when the gods did it).

A very pretty book
This book is very bright & has very pretty pictures to hold a child's attention. I bought it for my 8 yr old & I think it is a very nice book.

Fantastic book!
My 6-yr old neice absolutely loves this book. We had checked it out of the library and now I am purchasing it for her. This serves as a very good introduction to Greek mythology for young kids. It is clearly written and provides interesting vocabulary (that sometimes needs explanation). Our absolute favorite thing about the book is the illustration. The images are beautiful, fanciful, and inspire a person to dream! My neice has a hard time visually what words mean; she likes how there's a large portrait of the god or goddess, then scattered around him or her are little vignettes in pictures illustrating some major events in their lives. She can "read" this book herself and recall the stories. The images truly stick in one's mind.

I've looked at a dozen kids mythology books. Start them out with this one. If they are a bit older and dig mythology, get this for them anyhow. It will help refresh their memory.

Gods and Goddesses of Olympus
The Gods and Goddesses of Olympus is an interesting book. This book explains the origin of the gods and goddesses of Olympus. After reading this book a couple of times you will gain basic knowledge of the Greek gods and goddesses and how they evolved.

Aliki provides excellent illustrations that allow the story to be vividly portrayed. The illustrations relate well with the text and help the reader create a better understanding for the text. Her illustrations are drawn in pencil, then inked and colored with paints and colored pencils.

This book is at about a fifth grade reading level. However, the contents of this book are intended for an older, more mature audience, which leads to some concerns with using the book in the classroom. There are many moral issues in the book, as well as gruesome concepts throughout the book. For example, the ideas of incest are mentioned repeatedly, along with murder. These concepts may be rather difficult to explain to your students within your classroom.

Students who are interested in Greek gods and goddesses would really enjoy this book. However, in order for students to understand this book they need to be at a high independent reading level. The book can get rather confusing the first time around.

Great book for children.
My son is 3 and he loves this book. The information on the gods is interesting enough to entertain parents reading to a child, and the artwork is fun and colorful. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Decent, fun, and entertaining
This is not a book for learning Greek myths so much as it is for having fun reading a myth-book. He leaves some details out and uses lots of modern-day metaphors to describe how the Greek Gods lived.

Greek Gods And Heroes
Greek Gods And Heroes consists of many, fine detailed stories which are very easy and fun to read. Robert Graves tells some of the best tales in such a fun way and yet you are still learning about the Greek myths. I think Robert Graves is a fine author!

Great Greek Myths!!!
I was looking for a book that had a collection on certain Greek myths one day and I happened to stumble upon this book. Robert Graves here put together a collection of Greek myths in his own retelling and this book makes for a fun read. In addition to the fun that this book brings there is also a lot of basic information on Greek mythology to be learned, such as the Olympian Gods and monsters of the ancient myths. Whether the book is enjoyed slowly by reading one story and reading another at a later time or gobbling it up all together you will still get a lot of fun and information out of it.

A lot of the basic stories that have come out of Greek mythology are retold here in a simple and easy to read format. Stories such as Heracles' (Hercules), the birth of the God Hermes, Perseus', and many more can be found here. This book combines the politics, mystery, and magic of the ancient Greek world. Of the twenty seven stories that are told in this short little book my favorite is definitely the story of Heracles. I enjoyed reading about how he was able to perform the feats that were given to him to gain his freedom as his story shows how in the end you can always manage to do something that you set out to do.

While reading this book you will notice how the huge cast of characters interact with one another. Many are against each other, many are involved in a love affair, and others team up with each other to defeat other characters. It is interesting how our world today mirrors the mythological world of the ancient Greeks. A lot of people today do the same things that were done by the characters in the stories of the book.

Robert Graves' knowledge of the Greek myths is absolutely astounding. It is obvious upon the reading of this book how much research, time and effort went not only into writing this book, but also into gaining the basic facts which make the stories. In the introduction Graves writes how many things that are in today's world were derived from the ancient Greeks, like astronomy, literature, and medicine. When you read the book keep an eye out for the things of the Greeks that we use today.

I will be reading many of the stories in this book that I have enjoyed again and again in the future. This is a great introduction to the basics of Greek mythology and are great stories for bedtime.

Happy Reading!

Great stories told swiftly, for younger readers
My son (11) loves these stories.

The main Greek myths are here, told briefly and unsentimentally in crisp English. Most of the tales are 2-3 pages in length.

Great re-telling of the most memorable Greek myths.
Venerable writer Robert Graves re-tells the most memorable Greek myths in a fun loving style that will entertain children and adults. Graves' narrator voice is sometimes amused, sometimes gently chiding as he describes the adventures of Hercules, the saga of Pandora and her unfortunate box, Midas' tragic touch and Narcissus' self obsession. He also examines the roles and relationships of the twelve Olympians themselves.

This is not a dry textbook style treatment of mythology, but a wonderfully absorbing bunch of yarns that can be read over and over to elementary school children; it will also be a useful reference down the road, when young children become older students. These are great stories, beautifully told. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Great for a Child's Emotional Intelligence
I'm an EQ coach, and use myths (art, poetry, music and instruction, as well) to help people develop their emotional intelligence. I was fortunate enough to grow up learning myths, and continued to study them in college, as my minor was in Greek. I recently formed a list of books parents could use to help develop their children's EQ, and this book is definitely on it. My grandchild loved it, and I was so happy to find it.

Classic Myths for Young Minds
In this charming retelling of many favorite Greek myths, Heather Amery makes the age-old tales of Persephone, Pygmalion, Ulysses, and others come to life for the young reader. These stories are beautifully illuminated and perfect for reading aloud. The print is also large enough that an early reader can tackle them himself. As a bookstore employee, I enjoy using this book for in-store storytime. I highly reccomend it! ... Read more

Book Description

After struggling against the gods and his fate for more than twenty years, Odysseus has returned to Ithaca at last.But things have changed: what used to be his island has been overrun by suitors who clamor for his wife's hand in marriage and plague his son, Telemachus.With the help of the gray-eyed goddess, Athena, Odysseus and Telemachus must set out to regain control of Ithaca. In these books based on episodes from Homer's Odyssey, Mary Pope Osborne brings to life the exciting adventures of one of the greatest heroes of all time. ... Read more

Book Description

Odysseus and his men have defeated the one-eyed giant, but its curse follows them at every turn.Cast out to the open seas by the wind god, Odysseus and his fleet continue the difficult journey home.But they cannot return to Ithaca yet.First they must take on giant cannibals and outwit a beautiful witch, who reveals Odysseusí next challenge ñ a journey to the mysterious and feared land of the dead. ... Read more

Book Description

Odysseus and his men have done what no other mortals have done: returned alive from the terrifying Land of the Dead.Armed with warnings and advice from the ghosts of the prophet Tiresias, Odysseus is determined to finally sail home to Ithaca.But the enchantress Circe tells him that the Greeks will face even more horrors on their journey, including an encounter with Scylla, the six-headed monster, and Charybdis, the deadly whirlpool.Who will survive these terrors-and how?

In this third of six books based on episodes from Homer's Odyssey, Mary Pope Osborne continues the exciting adventures of one of the greatest heroes of all time. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The best in the series!
We read all these books in the series together as a family. This one was our favorite. My boys couldn't wait for bedtime so they could hear what would happen next in the story. These books offer enough action to keep one's interest, young and old. I recommend all the books in the series. We can't wait for #6! ... Read more

Amazon.com's Best of 2001

Homer's mighty epic poem, The Iliad, is the earliest written literature of Western civilization. Adele Geras, best known for her trilogy based on Sleeping Beauty, takes on the seemingly impertinent task of retelling the siege of Troy as a young adult novel, but manages to carry it off without trivializing the original. The great battles of the bronze-clad warriors and the clashes between Achilles and Hector and Odysseus are seen at a distance from the walls of the city, where the Trojan townsfolk gather to sit each day and cheer the action like spectators at some archaic football game.

The passion of Helen and Paris, Hector's farewell to his ill-fated infant son, and other familiar domestic scenes are seen from a closer perspective, through the eyes of the four teenage protagonists. Marpessa is Helen's young servant, and her sister Xanthe is nursemaid to Hector's baby son, while Iason, who is secretly beloved by their friend Polyxena, tends the horses and yearns for Xanthe, who has a crush on Alastor, who has impregnated Marpessa. These complicated, interlocking infatuations and love affairs work themselves out against a background of siege and bloodshed watched over by the gods. Artemis, Mars, Poseidon, and Pallas Athene appear in visions to reveal their plans to the characters (and to us), but their words blow away like mist as soon as they are gone. Meanwhile, the bawdy gossip of three old serving maids in the kitchen emulates a Greek chorus. The story winds to its inevitable destination with the emergence of the Greeks from the wooden horse and the bloody sack of the city--a suitably violent end to an ancient and violent tale. (Ages 12 and older) --Patty Campbell ... Read more

Reviews (31)

Troy
Troy is a magnificent book depicting life for ancient Greeks and Romans. It required a little homework to understand all of the gods, but it was worth it. After picking apart this book, it did not take me long to realize that this book was truly about love. All that happened in this book had to do with love. The sacrifices, the sisters, and even the war. Adele Geras beautifully depicts what happened in the raid of Troy, and even though it was a bit gory, you could really feel what it would have been like to be there. The author has a terrific way of writing, where you can truly connect to the characters, and you want them to succeed just the way that you would want a close friend to. Because this book has so many characters, it's a little confusing following who the chapter is about, but the scene banners at the beginning of each chapter help. I also enjoyed the gods participation in this novel, foreshadowing the whole time. It just made me want to keep reading even more. I encourage anyone who's looking for an interesting, exciting, and challenging book to pick up Troy.

Side-Story in the Epic of Troy
The book, Troy, was written in a very different style than I'm used to. It centers on two sisters: Xanthe and Marpessa. They live in Troy, Xanthe as nursemaid to Lord Hector's son, and Marpessa, an attendant to Helen.
The story tells of the events of the sisters' lives before and after the Greeks destroyed Troy. Some parts were very evocative, and the plot was very interestingly portrayed. Adele Geras's setting very vivid, and her characterization was well done.
Though I really disliked many parts, the story was well written, and at times leaves you to imagine what's going to happen afterwards, particulary in the end.
I'm still undecided whether this book makes my top ten list of books, but it's still a good read, and I enjoyed it.

Disappointed....
I simply can't tell you how sorry I am that I cannot be one of those who raves about this book. Being a young adult myself, when I found this book in the Young Adult's section of the bookstore I was thrilled. I am sure many people can relate when I say that the Trojan War has always fascinated me. When I bought this book I couldn't wait to dive into the story.
I bought this book fully prepared to be blown away because of all the amazing reviews and awards circling it. But boy, was I disappointed. I realize that because I am young I may not yet appreciate this sort of thing but I was absolutely shocked by the...erm...shall we say...explicit material in this book. Every time I pass this book, proudly displayed in the Young Adult's section in the bookstore, I can't help wondering what some parents will think when they peer over their 11-year-old's shoulder and find them reading some of the worst parts of this book.
Now, this book is like a soap opera in print, which is not always a bad thing, and there are very many parts where the character's feelings hold the largest piece. But for some reason (maybe it's just me) I found that, although the author was writing words that described the character's feelings it all felt surface-like to me. For a book so full of emotions none of the feelings expressed felt as deep as in some other books I've read; they just felt like words on a page.
The characters in this book were all original and the author's imagination and portrayal of some of the best known characters in the Trojan War was something different and there were personalities that I enjoyed discovering. This book could make a great PG-13 or even R rated movie, but as a book it was a little disappointing.

a classic
if you know the story, or have read 'the Iliad' (Troy)...then you must read this! its a neat story. Geras highlighted characters that were hardly, or have never been mentioned within the original epic Troy. She viewed the story from the Trojan's perspective..It all ends the same way- hardly some parts of it was distoredly narrarated if you were to compare it from the original version (on how the war went on). But, the ending kind of left me hanging...what happened to Xanthe? Adromarche? Guys and Gals - This book is WAY better than the movie even if Mr. Pitt was in it!

Best book ever!!!!
This book was amazing! It totally shed new light onto the Trojan War. It was awesome because it's like reading a soap opera, and yet it's historical fiction, so there is some truth to everything. This book is a better way to learn history; more kids would want to learn if every historical event was put into historical fiction like this book was. Troy made the Trojan War real, and made it interesting, instead of reading the entire lIlliad. Even though it is for more mature people due to some explicit parts, Troy is a "two-thumbs up" kind of book! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Say Cheese Medusa
The book Say Cheese Medusa is about Hades, a Greek god of the underworld. He tells the real story of the Greek stories unlike the big fake, Zeus. He says that Zeus made Medusa sound bad when she really wasn't. He tells the story of how Perseus, the brave hero who slayed Medusa, really didn't and how he was a big fake. The story by Hades says that Perseus really was a brat and how Cerberus, the three headed dog, hated him. Medusa (according to Hades) is still alive and has a small hotel and spa running. He tells the real story and every single word is true.
I really like the book because Greek stories are really interesting and all but to have it from a god's point of view is interesting. It has all the things correct but in some parts the story is changed but it has all the main parts. The book had weird places like in this quote, "The Underworld Mall was under constructions that spring. Dozens of new shops and restaurants were going up." I mean really, a mall in the underworld, what will they think of next, you think, well there is more!!! I love the new places the author adds in the book. Then there are things like this, "The one and only sibyl doll! Press the button and she'll tell you your future!"
Things like these are crazy!! I mean, you think that the gods only watch and meddle with our lives; in this book you realize that they have lives too!!! The book is funny and entertaining at the same time. It is a book I can read over and over again without any complaints. If I like it, you will too. I am sure , and I recommend you to read it too.
My favorite part of the book was everything. Yet to have an specific part is hard. I would have to say that my favorite part of the book was when Medusa's sisters come up with the plan of helping Perseus. Their plan is to take one of the fake heads that Medusa makes of herself and instead of beheading Medusa it is a fake head made of plaster. That I think is my favorite part of the book. It was a really interesting book and if you read it for yourself, you will see the hardship if choosing the most favorite part of the book.

Stone and Cheese
In the third installment to the series Hades writes about the popular myth of Medusa. As you know Medusaused to be a gorgon(A bug eyed winged monster with snakes for hair. But she wasn't born that way. She was born a beautiful moon goddess with silky black hair. A nasty goddess(Athena)made her and her sisters that way. Soon a young man named Purseus is after her head.Can Medusa save herself? This book may not have as much action as the first book but is just as good.

A different perspective on popular myths which really rings
Kate McMullan has created an excellent twist on traditional myth telling. I bought these books for my older two children (ages 9 & 7) and found them not only funny, but extremely eye opening and appropriate for adults as well. They should really be read in tandem with Bullfinch's anthologies in any mythology class, as it offers a view from the "other" side, which is rarely, if ever, explored.
In this "episode" a beautiful and very kind, minor moon goddess is transformed into the legendary "turn men into stone" gorgon by a very jealous and self important , major goddess. It is a story of how understanding and being compassionate to others can overcome even the seemingly worse circumstances and reveal the true beauty beneath. ... Read more