D'Aulaire's Book of Greek Myths

I loved this book when I was kid. I don't think I ever read it all the way through then. I love the myths and how they're represented and the illustrations - but it lead to a pretty awkward time in high school. At the time, I worked at a preschool, and I we had a new teacher start. She had an accent and a different look. One afternoon, when things were slow, I asked her where she was from. Greece, she told me. No, I said, you can't be from Greece - Greeks are blonde. No ... she told me, Greeks look just like me, we have dark hair. I explained that the book I had read, this book, depicted Greek people as light skinned and blonde. She laughed. Yes, that happens, she said. While people create illustrations in their own image. I felt pretty show more sheepish, but now I find it a funny story. show less

This classic introduction to Greek mythology for children, written and illustrated by the husband-wife team, is divided into three main sections. The first covers the beginnings of the world and the stories of the Olympian gods and goddesses; the second is devoted to the minor gods, nymphs, satyrs, and centaurs; and the third relates the tales of the human heroes of epic and play.

Although some of the gorier details of these myths have been glossed over, the authors have opted for generalization rather than outright omission. For example, in the story of the overthrow of Uranus, mention is made of the fateful sickle, and of Cronos's attack upon his father, but the exact nature of the attack is unspecified. I think that this approach show more works fairly well, in that it maintains the integrity of the myth, while making it more appropriate for the younger child at whom this book is aimed. (Time enough later for them to read of castration, and the birth of the terrible Furies...)

Rereading as an adult, I was struck by the absence of the story of Antigone, an odd choice given that the D'Aulaires do devote some space to Oedipus's warring sons. But leaving that omission aside, this anthology is fairly comprehensive, and will provide the young enthusiast with almost all the major mythological stories of the ancient Greek tradition. This book is well-written and beautifully illustrated, and although I never owned a copy as a child, I can recall poring over it at the library. Happily, I now have a copy of my own... show less

This is a wonderful introduction to the colorful world of Greek Myth. Even though it was published back in 1962, it's lost none of its charm. The D'Aulaire's know how to tell a story and their whimsical illustrations are the perfect augmentations. I especially love the subtle details in the drawings: Ares, God of War, has the crankiest face one could imagine, while his spikey-haired henchman, Eris,lurks beyond him. And who can't but feel a pang of sympathy for poor Arachne, domed to be a sad little face on a spidery black dust-bunny of a body?

This is a great introduction to Greek myths. I had been suggested this as a quick familiarization with the Greek pantheon as I was about to begin The Odyssey. My 9-year-old saw some of the pictures and asked to read it along with me. How could I say no? It took me just a little bit longer, but it provided some great and interesting stories - some I knew and some I didn't - and it did help with some of the gods/goddesses in Homer. There are other story versions and deeper parts of the story, but this is a good puddle jumper story for older kids and older adults who enjoy being a kid. The pictures are unique in their own right and add that classical nature from a personal touch style. If you're going to get into the Greek myths for your show more kids or for yourself, this is one I would recommend starting with. Also, a good primer for the classical education style. Final Grade - A show less

I absolutely loved this book as a kid! It's a great introduction to Greek Myths. It covers the 12 Olympic gods, a few Chthonian (Persephone and Hades), as well as important minor figures like Pan and Echo. The book also has a section for the descendants of Zeus, including Heracles and Oedipus. It's worth noting that these myths are a bit sanitized for kids. Some details are left out or minor things might be changed to make them more appropriate. The art style is a bit dated, but I think it still helps express certain parts of the story well. This book kickstarted my life long love of mythology and really got me invested in Greek myths specifically.

Not as good as "Norse Gods and Giants"; still good, though. The audio version, which includes celebrated narrators, is not worth the trouble, since it's the illustrations that make the book.

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Second review: What a difference having learned more about the subject matter makes! With Vandiver's lectures I now have a much greater appreciation for the book and really appreciated the audio book.

Looking at other reviews, it seems like this might be one instance where I missed out by listening to the audio version rather than reading the book. On the other hand . . . Paul Newman, Kathleen Turner, and Sidney Poitier are fabulous readers (Matthew Broderick is decidedly not, but oh well). And these brief entries really are fun to listen to. Well worth my time, and I'm likely to take a look at the print edition as well--with the kids, maybe.