Customer Reviews

The Adventures of Odysseus

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My 6-year-old son loved having this read to him, and I loved reading it. Hugh Lupton has beautifully condensed the adventures of Odysseus into a fun and entertaining narrative, without making the story feel dumbed-down. The illustrations were lovely and suited the text very well. My son will enjoy reading this for years. Highly recommended.

My 6-yo didn't like some of the sadder adventures, but was riveted nonetheless. My 4-yo cried at the reunion of Odysseus and Penelope and then took the book to read to herself in bed. The illustrations are lovely. The language is, at times, graphic, so be warned. For example, Troy's destruction is described as "blood-soaked rubble." At the same time, Odysseus's regret and mourning is described, preventing the horrors from being gratuitous. The story isn't watered down, but is fast-paced and works well even for younger children.

I'v been looking for a good version of the Odyssey to read to my kids for some time and this wins hands down. Its an absolutely beautiful book and does a wonderful job of telling this famous story. We got this from the library but I'm very tempted to buy a copy to add to our permanent collection.

Last year, I read "The Wandering of Odysseus" by Rosemary Sutcliff to my seven year old son. This year for my six year old daughter, I wanted something simpler for her shorter attention span. I chose "The Adventures of Odysseus" because of the wonderful illustrations by Christina Balit. Although filled with colorful illustrations, the text was surprisingly at about the same level of difficulty as the Rosemary Sutcliff version.

"The Adventures of Odysseus" is well told and the art work is first rate. If you are looking for a fast paced retelling of the Odyssey, this is a great version. However, if you are willing to invest more time in reading, I would recommend purchasing the hardback version of Rosemary Sutcliff's "The Wanderings of Odysseus." It is a much more detailed retelling of the story. But in the end, the Odyssey is such a great book a parent cannot go wrong with either version.

Can I give this six stars? It's one my favorite!

In what can only be an homage to one of my favorite teachers, Mrs. Dawson from La Jolla High School, some of my favorite stories to share with my son come from the Odyssey, which I read in ninth grade. My son learned about the adventures of Odysseus at three and a half, when we first took him to a Greek restaurant. That night I tried to tell him as many Odysseus stories as I could remember, and we later purchased several books to help us out. This one, by Hugh Lupton, is one of our favorites.

A word of caution however... We loved this book so much that we gave it to one of my son's friends for his fifth birthday. This boy thought the book was too scary. So use your own judgment on what you think your child can handle, or just skip the scary parts.

What's not to love about Odysseus, the cunning character in the book, 'The Adventures of Odysseus', a Greek King and hero, struggling to make his way home to his family at the end of the Trojan war, he instead finds himself on a colorful ten year journey where he meets characters like the cyclops, and the enchanted sirens.
This current retelling of Homer's classic Odyssey is well written, and beautifully illustrated. I love reading this book to my children who in turn love having it read to them.

Everybody needs to know the story of Odysseus's perilous ten-year journey home after the Trojan war, home to faithful Penelope. How the whole thing could have been avoided if Odysseus had quietly escaped from the Cyclops, instead of taunting him about his defeat.

This book combines wonderful storytelling (some violence) with outstanding visuals. The large format gives you plenty of reason to read it out loud to your family - everybody can see. So beautiful. Magnificent.