The Hero Beowulf

I read this version to my 6 year old son and 4 year old daughter. While both kids liked the story it was a bit much for my daughter. Of course most parents wouldn't be reading this to thier kids at these ages but my 6 year old loved it!! This was our intro. to Beowulf and since we read this version, we have read 3 other versions (each more detailed and scary than the one before). My son can not get enough and I credit it to this child friendly(ish) version.

Legends and Hero Tales. Picture book with early elementary looking print and picture. Beowulf is an old Scandinavian tale. At age 10, Beowulf killed a bunch of trolls who were bothering tourists. As he grew, he destroyed various sea serpents and monster. He was called to help defend a king from Grendel, a terrible monster. He cleverly did, ripping his arm off, so Grendel left and never came back. Simple pictures of the Vikings.

The Hero Beowulf is a children's picturebook retelling the legend of the Nordic hero Beowulf. Narrated in simple prose, it tells of how Beowulf came to the aid of the Danish king Hrothgar, whose men were being devoured nightly by the monster Grendel. Depicting Beowulf's mortal battle with the monster, the story tells how Beowulf bested Grendel by tearing off its arm, as its hide was enchanted and could not be pierced with mortal weapons. Grendel never gave mercy to its victims, and so Beowulf showed no mercy to it. The art is colorful and in a slightly simplistic but realistic style, the better to convey the gut feeling of a classic struggle between good and evil. An excellent introduction to a classic legend, retold faithful to the spirit of the original.

As many know, "Beowulf," which can be traced back hundreds of year, is the oldest known poem in English literature. The hero is a Viking, and his story is divided into three parts, the first of which is presented in "The Hero Beowulf." The original manuscript of "Beowulf" is housed in the British Library, and is regarded as a great treasure. Now, Eric Kimmel, remembered for "Don Quixote and the Windmill" joins with illustrator Leonard Fisher to offer a treasure for young readers. Our story opens with a description of Beowulf's childhood, noting that at the age of ten he took his father's sword to rout a nest of savage trolls who were attacking the innocent. When the sword's blade broke, young Beowulf "ripped up an oak tree by its roots and battered the trolls until they lay dead." Next, he's engaged in battle with sea serpents, and then he learns of a brutal monster, Grendel, who is ravishing King Hrothgar's land. The monster is so powerful that he comes each night to the hall and carries off the mightiest warriors. No one dares to challenge Grendel until Beowulf appears. Fisher's full-color double page illustrations are stunningly stark, especially when depicting the monster Grendel. "The Hero Beowulf" deserves a place in every young reader's library. - Gail Cooke