The Book of Goddesses [Hardcover]

Kris Waldherr (Author), Linda Schierse Leonard (Introduction)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up

Profiles of major goddesses from human history include the stories of the Greek goddess of wisdom, Athena; Tara, the Tibetan goddess of wisdom; and Benzai-Ten, the Japanese goddess of beauty and music, in a young reader's introduction complemented by twenty-six lavish watercolor illustrations.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Waldherr (Persephone and the Pomegranate) ambitiously tackles no less than 26 goddesses in this comprehensive guide, which spans the globe from Navajo to Celtic to Japanese culture. Its ambitiousness, however, may be its Achilles' heel. Relegating each subject to one page of text with a facing page of illustration, Waldherr does not have the luxury of creating tension, crafting dialogue or establishing settings. The result feels uncomfortably like a series of highly compressed encyclopedia entries. Outside the context of a myth or story, these summaries may not hold the reader's attention, unless, perhaps, as research for school. In that scenario, the book is a useful resource, supplemented by an extensive bibliography and lush watercolors of each goddess in a setting reflective of her culture. All ages.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-7?This collection offers unique information to students of women's history and lovers of mythology. Waldherr has researched her topic extensively. Her cohesive, succinct summaries of each goddess?one for each letter of the alphabet?read like stories as well as convey the subjects' significance. Familiar deities of Greece and Rome share equal space with the less familiar Kuan Yin of China, Yemana of Cuba, and Oya of Nigeria. The author also includes the engrossing stories of goddesses of Java, Sumeria, Mexico, Norway, and 10 other locations. Most of them represent virtues and values such as mercy, love, comfort, and fertility, though some are associated with wrath and revenge. One page of text, framed by a decorative border and background illustration, and a full-page portrait are devoted to each woman. Waldherr's watercolors depict the goddesses in their traditional garments surrounded by the most important motifs of their myths. The artist pays particular attention to ethnic details. The volume includes a pronunciation guide and an extensive source list, which contributes to its research value. Aliki's Gods and Goddesses of Olympus (HarperCollins, 1994) is for a younger audience and is of limited scope. Patricia Monaghan's The Book of Goddesses and Heroines (Llewellyn, 1990) contains many more entries, but has no illustrations and is not written specifically for children. Waldherr's book can be used to supplement read-alouds, and older children will enjoy it on their own.?Cheri Estes, Detroit Country Day School Middle School, Beverly Hills, MI
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover
• Publisher: Beyond Words Pub Co (March 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1885223307
• ISBN-13: 978-1885223302
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 8.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #627,339 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Kris Waldherr is an author, illustrator, and designer whose art has been exhibited in the National Museum of Women in the Arts. She is the author of Doomed Queens, The Lover's Path and The Book of Goddesses, and creator of The Goddess Tarot. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful artwork, Informative cross-cultural mythology, March 15, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Book of Goddesses (Hardcover)

This book contains stunning watercolor pictures of goddesses derived from different cultures and eras...an absolute must-read. After taking a Greek Goddesses religion class in college, I decided to buy this book out of curiosity. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that this book encompasses Goddess mythology from all over the world...as opposed to a sole "Greek" focus, Japanese, Chinese, Roman, Norse, Welsh, Egyptian, Indian, African, Hawaiian, Mexican, Slavic, Cuban, and Celtic goddesses are all contained in this book. Kris Waldherr displays immense talent through her detailed and well-researched stories and imaginative portrayals of each Goddess. This book is very inspiring...a great read for any child's collection, and a definite 'keeper' in my own collection.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars no title, February 4, 2003

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Book of Goddesses (Hardcover)

I've never been much of a mythology fan, but after bringing this book home from the library to do research on Aphrodite/Venus for a school project, I found myself reading every godess's story over and over again. The paintings are gorgeous and the written part is actually interesting. I never thought Diana, Athena, and Chang O could actually capture my imagination, but they did. Each godess is beautiful and unique in her own way. Kris Waldherr makes them each become the perfect role model for every type of girl. :-) -Willow

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy two -- one for you, one for a friend!, December 18, 2001

By 

Cathleen M. Walker "geminiwalker" (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Book of Goddesses (Hardcover)

This book is a lovely work of art! A perfect "coffee table" book or as an introduction for young people to different cultures and ways of seeing the world, The Book of Goddesses will open your mind and expand your consciousness. "My house is full of many mansions," and "many roads, one journey," come to mind as a way to describe the concepts that unfold as the beautiful artwork and simple text in two pages describes each goddess, where she is from, and what she represents. We cannot understand the world we live in if we continue to dismiss or minimize the cultures in which it is rooted. This may be a "radical" concept, but it is an important concept to understand.

This book would make a great gift.