Review by Booklist Review
Gr. 3-6. Osborne has selected 13 well-known stories from classical mythology. Although the wording occasionally has a colloquial tone, young readers will enjoy the simplicity and drama of her retellings. A large-format volume with one full-color plate illustrating each tale, this is one of the more beautifully designed and illustrated books of myths. Howell's richly colored paintings capture dramatic moments in memorable, monumental images well suited to the genre. A good choice for teachers or parents who wish to familiarize their children with these famous Greek tales or for children seeking myths to enjoy on their own. --Carolyn Phelan
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
This handsome collection consists of a dozen tales from Greek mythology, most drawn from Ovid's Metamorphoses , including the stories of Echo and Narcissus, Ceres and Proserpine, Cupid and Psyche, King Midas. Osborne's retellings are both lively and descriptive, while Howell's full-color, often iridescent illustrations set the scene and mood at the start of each tale. Taken together, they provide a solid and highly readable introduction to the major Greco-Roman gods and goddesses and the myths that have profoundly shaped Western thought and literature. Helpful back-matter includes a list of key characters, partial lexicon of modern words drawn from the myths, bibliography and index. Ages 7-11. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-6-- Not a comprehensive collection, this book contains retellings of Apuleius' ``Cupid and Psyche'' and of 11 stories from Ovid's Metamorphoses. The prose is lively, the versions faithful, and each myth has a full-page, gold-warmed painting in a realistic but slightly Art Deco-archaic style. Roman names are used, with Greek equivalents given but no pronunciation key. A list of modern myth-related words classifies them as of ``Greek origins,'' though many (e.g., cereal) are patently from Latin roots; and some obvious choices (jovial, panic, psychology) are omitted. The brief introduction repeats the dubious idea that Greek myths ``explain'' nature, which in any case is not a help in understanding Ovid's reworkings. Many more stories (including those of Prometheus, Pandora, Deucalion and Pyrraha, Io, Niobe, Pygmalion, Oedipus, Bellerophon, Perseus, Heracles, Jason, Theseus, Odysseus, et. al. , all missing here) and illustrations can be found in the Macmillan Book of Greek Gods and Heroes (1985) or Gods, Men and Monsters from the Greek Myths (Schocken, 1982). --Patricia Dooley, University of Washington, Seattle (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Handsomely packaged, a title with visual appeal but limited usefulness. Osborne states in her introduction that her retellings are based largely upon the Roman poet Ovid's Metamorphoses; following his lead, she uses Roman names for the mythical characters here, making the title at best misleading--even though it is true that the myths themselves originated with the Greeks. This confusion is only partially alleviated by giving both the Greek and the Roman names in a concluding list of ""Gods, Goddesses and Mortals."" The 12 well-known myths here include the stories of Midas, Proserpina, and Arachne; the retellings are adequate, but the compact style results in loss of grace rather than in narrative power. Full-color paintings in a heroic style recalling N.C. Wyeth (though--unlike Wyeth--Howell sometimes sentimentalizes) accompany each story. There is a list of English words derived from mythological characters (here called ""Modern Words with Greek Origins""); a brief bibliography of standard references, mostly for adults; and an index. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
