The McElderry Book of Greek Myths

As some other reviewers have noted, the stories in this book of Greek myths are written more for children than for adults, in that the stories do not contain all of the background stories of some of these myths. An example is the story of "Theseus and the Minotaur" - the origin of this creature (possessing a man's body and a bull's head) is not delved into, and I am thankful for that because it does pose problems of explaining it to my 5-year-old daughter (considering the Minotaur was the offspring of Minos' wife and the Cretan bull!). I appreciated how the author, Eric Kimmel simplified the prose to make it easier for young children to follow the stories. My daughter and I both loved the illustrations - there is a modern feel to them and a fun take of these classic myths. The artist, Pep Montserrat brings these myths to life in a compelling yet subtle manner, For example, Medusa is not portrayed in all its horrifying glory - only the back of the creature's head is shown, which I felt was apt considering the target audience of this book (I certainly did not wish my preschooler to get nightmares). The stories featured here are: Prometheus Pandora's Box Persephone and Hades Echo and Narcissus Arachne Pygmalion and Galatea King Midas and The Golden Touch Orpheus and Eurydice Jason and the golden fleece Daedalus and Icarus Theseus and the Minotaur Perseus and Medusa For those looking for a more unabridged version of the Greek myths, I'd recommend D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths and The Greek Myths: Complete Edition. As for compilations for children, I also liked Greek Myths for Young Children (Stories for Young Children).

This book is favorite on our home library shelf. The myths are honored by the authors treatment. Understandable heros and villians. McElderry's finest yet. Great for the 5-10 year old crowd, definitely! A fine book.

I suggest this book: -For the artwork. -Those wanting to provide a captivating introduction to the Greek Myths. -Greek Myths aside, to those who are looking for a just fabulous story book to share with their kids! What I am saying is that this is such a piece of art in itself, that even those who aren't particularly looking for Greek Mythology, will still find much to love about this book. I love reading to my children myths, of all sorts, and also differing versions of the same myths, for each one has something unique to offer, and together they offer a patchwork of humanity. This retelling is delightful, captivating, vivid, and expresses all the humanity and emotion that are the heart of these myths. It is worth buying for the artwork alone... the type of illustrations that you just want to sit and look at over and over again! My 6 and 4 year old were captivated by them. The textures that are used to make up the images made my son and I look closer to try to figure out how the pictures were made. This is the book for you if you want something that really brings the stories to life, and leaves you feeling like you shared a rich experience with your children... one that invites you to think, feel, and want to revel in the stories again. The stories are clear and understandable to the young, flow from one story to the next in a way that helps you recognize the relationship of the different characters in different stories to each other, and is just plain fun to read. My 6 year old didn't want me to stop, and had me read it to him cover to cover. The stories stayed with him and later while playing the spontaneous comment "I don't want to be greedy," emerged from his musings over the stories. While a historical overview of different versions and pinpointing and comparing where this retelling diverges from other versions would have been interesting, I don't fault the book for not having it. What it did accomplish was so well done, it is a jewel for what it is, not a failure for what it's not. Like a previous reviewer said, those who become interested in the Myths can go on to learn more about them from other sources. And this book is likely to endear these stories to the reader in a way that will encourage more learning. I fancied the way the introduction invites readers to join the generations of people who have shared these stories, and to now, make these stories your own. That is just what the author and illustrator have done... their rich craftmanship shows they have made these stories, which 'belong to all of us', their own. I suggest buying this book and making it "your own," too!

I've read many collections of Greek Myths to my children, but this one is the best by far. The illustrations are gorgeous, Eric Kimmel's narrative flows wonderfully(as usual), and it's just plain fun to read aloud. I checked this one out from our public library, but I will definitely be purchasing it. I know D'Aulaires Book of Greek Myths is considered the gold standard of Greek Myth books, but the illustrations in that book just aren't exciting and colorful (I know it was published awhile ago, when full color art wasn't as common). I will probably buy that one when my children are older. Right now, my kids like to look over my shoulder at the pictures, and the McElderry Book of Greek Myths has beautiful, colorful pictures throughout, illustrations that really capture the spirit of these myths.

This is currently my 5-year old son's favorite book. Although I sympathize with the criticisms of the previous review regarding the "accuracy" of the storytelling in this book (anyone who has studied mythology knows that many versions of various myths have existed over the centuries), these stories and the accompanying illustrations are wonderful and will thoroughly captivate young readers. Certainly, it is not a definitive source for scholarship, but that isn't its intent. It is an introduction intended for young children. These stories are filled with a fair dose of brutality and cruelty (as they have always been), but some have been changed to shorten them and others to avoid some more difficult and disturbing topics -- for example, the "true" story of the Minotaur's origin is not told in order to avoid the subject of Pasiphae's amorous encounter with a white bull. Nevertheless, this collection of foundational stories will delight children and adults alike. Those with a continuing interest will surely find other, more mature versions of these myths as they grow older, but this book is a wonderful place to start.