Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Featuring vibrant colors, detailed borders and comic-strip panels spilling over with farcical antics and asides, Williams's watercolor and pen-and-ink artwork is reminiscent of her illustrations for Joseph and His Magnificent Coat of Many Colors . Though readers on the young edge of the intended audience may miss the moral of some of these familiar and lesser-known myths, Williams has condensed the plots deftly, adding pithy comments (``Fat chance''; ``Where's the welcoming committee?''; ``This village is a dump!'') that help to modernize the material. Although she does not shy away from the beatings, killings and bloodshed incorporated in a few of the myths, her drawings will be deemed gory by only the most conservative viewers, and are not likely to pose a problem for children. Rather, this animated, oversize volume offers a lighthearted look at some timeless tales. Ages 5-up. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-6-Eight tales featuring non-divine protagonists (Pandora, Orpheus, etc.) are retold in color-saturated kid-pleasing comic strips. Williams doesn't shy away from the violence inherent in these stories, but her knack for interjecting bawdy visual humor or an offbeat dialogue-balloon aside maintains a buoyant tone. The intricate artwork and pithy narratives demand repeated readings and guarantee wide appeal. (c) Copyright 2011. 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 Horn Book Review
Williams employs her characteristic cartoon format and illustrations to retell eight Greek myths, including 'Pandora's Box' and 'The Twelve Tasks of Hercules.' The irreverent tellings and lively art will attract readers, but do not do justice to the richness of the material. From HORN BOOK 1992, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
