Customer Reviews

Favorite Greek Myths

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

 

 

This book was pretty informative and told every story very accurately, which is very goood. Some mythology books these days don't always tell the story the same way and then you have contradicting information. But, ont thing that bothered me throughout the whole book was that the title of the book is Favortite Greek Myths, but clearly they use the Roman names for all of the gods and characters. This can be somewhat misleading. They also focus on some of the gods that are more minor and ignore more popular ones, which I am critisizing. But I have always loved the stry of Daphne and Apollo, and this book has the best version I've ever heard of it. It also includes other stories about Echo and Narcissus, King Midas, Hades kidnapping Persephone, and Arachne, all classics in Greek folklore. Onne thing that was also very useful was that there was a passage in the back of the book giving the names and occupations of each god and goddess. The color paintings in the book are also very beautiful and describe the story, and are therefore well-chosen. This book is very good for beginers of mythology (it was my first mythology book and is very good for children), but not recomended for advanced mythologists. Though the stories are brief and quick to get to their point, they are still informative enough to get the plot. That's why the book is so good for kids. It's really nice to share Greek mythology with kids early because all during junior high you have to study about it (trust me, I'm fourteen), and it's helpful to already know something about before you start. And this book is a good source for that sort of thing.

I took mythology in college and loved it. I had lost the text book though and it was sadly missed! I love art and collect books! This is a beautiful book, with beautiful art! The illustrator also did work on the time life series enchanted world, which I own the entire collection so it was a pleasant suprise to see his illustrations for this book. The stories are wonderful, some I remember some I didn't. I read it from cover to cover and will cherish it! Hopefully she'll write more greek myths, a series! I plan on getting her other book, Favorite medievil tales, I'll write a review either way! If you appreciate beautiful art and good stories this is a must have for any library, I'll pass this one on to my children!

I received this book for Christmas one year when I was a child ... it enchanted me for hours. The illustrations, as I remember, were wonderful and so were the stories. If you were to buy this book for your inquisitive child, they would NOT be disappointed.

I was handed this book by a fellow teacher to use in a Greek Mythology Unit. Too bad all of the names are those of the ROMAN gods and goddesses. What was this "reteller" thinking? I would look for a different book so that you don't totally confuse the two cultures.

This book is a disgrace to scholarship. The author muddles the entire subject by using the Roman names for the Greek deities. This is simply unacceptable in this day and age. It is disrespectful to the cultures of the ancient societies that produced these sacred stories. It is scandalous that a reputable publisher would have allowed such a travesty into print. As a university instructor of children's literature courses for thirty years, this is the absolute worst book on this topic I have ever read. Avoid it!

"The myths in this collection use their Roman names..." -Quoted from page 71 of book.

Um...why does this book use Roman names if it is supposed to be a collection of Greek Myths? Very confused.

I think that "D'aulaire's Book of Greek Myths" is a better book of the same caliber.

... but some adults might get really annoyed. I was drawn immediately to this book when I saw the title. Greek myths were a favorite of mine as a child and I think all children should be acquainted with them. In many ways, this book is very good, in particular with the inclusion of the explanation of modern words of Greek origin. What a great thing to add to a book! The first thing to annoy me, though, was the illustration of King Midas. The artwork in this book is beautifully executed. Howell has a sort of Pre-Raphaelite thing going down, but with what must be an unintentionally funny kink here and there. Midas is pictured crouched down in cartoon-y horror. I moved on. Hey, no wonder Atalanta won all those races if the men were burdened with those heavy bronze helmets and shields. Minerva has the hair and supercilious look of a friend of mine who had a drag act. Wait a minute ... Minerva? I looked at the cover again. This was supposed to be Greek myths! I can see the problem: if you are using Ovid as a base, you get the Roman names and "Favorite Myths of the Greeks and Romans" is too unwieldy. This turned the whole deal sour for me.
Despite the Osborne authorship (which had so heartened me at first glance), my experience with this book went rapidly downhill. And it's a shame, because it is a beautiful book that some kids would treasure all their lives. I wish I could pay compliments to the writing, but I was ready to red-line the least little thing once I got started. Proserpina (who seems to be running without moving a hair) mourns the loss of her life with her mother and refuses to eat, but I didn't find that in the story. That's why that one (or three, depending on the version) pomegranate seed gets her in trouble. If you eat the food of the Underworld, you must stay. I'm left with some questions, too. How exactly was Midas so hospitable to Bacchus? I feel like I've walked in on the middle of some conversation.
One of my coworkers thinks I should get over this. There is just so much good in this book. The stories flow well one to the other, sometimes referring back to a previous story. But if you're an old fuddy-duddy like me, a stickler for minutiae, a veritable pain in the posterior ... where was I? Oh, don't listen to me. Go ahead and buy the book. Or better yet, get it from the library.

From the author of the Magic Tree House books (Grades 2-4). As one reviewer suggests, one can be and should be exposed to these classic stories long before high school! Read any one of these intriguing tales to a young child and the interest will simply blossom. Sow the seeds while the ground is fertile !!!

I read a variety of books and for kicks recently read the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. That series jogged my memory of this book, which my mother bought for me as a little girl. While I was impressed with the illustrations as a six year old, twenty years later I am impressed by the storytelling.

The book is composed of twelve stories, including:
1) Chariot of the Sun God -- the story of Phaeton and Helios
2) The Golden Touch -- the story of Bacchus and King Midas
3) Lost at Sea -- The story of Ceyx and Alcyone
4) The Weaving Contest -- The story of Minerva and Arachne
5) Apollo's Tree -- the story of Apollo and Daphne
6) The Face in the Pool -- the story of Echo and Narcissus
7)The Kidnapping -- the story of Ceres and Proserpina
8)The Great Bear -- the story of Callisto and Arcus
9)Journey to the Underworld -- the story of Orpheus and Eurydice
10) The Golden Apples -- the story of Atalanta and Hippomenes
11)The Four Tasks -- The story of Cupid and Psyche
12) The Mysterious Visitors -- The story of Baucis and Philemon

I would suggest this book primarily for individuals who have little to no knowledge of Greek myths. The writing should be easy enough for most fourth or fifth graders to handle but certainly valuable for any adult that wants to learn a bit more about these stories.

One of the major criticisms of the this book is the utilization of Roman names for a book that is supposed to be discussing Greek stories. I could see why a scholar would be upset but I would think this would pose a good opportunity for parents and teachers to discuss the two cultures, including the use of different names for Gods and Goddesses. English teachers could also focus on careful publishing and editing.

I would have loved to have seen a family chart of the Gods and Goddesses included in this book. It is pretty easy to find a chart online but it would have been a nice addition to the book.

I typically like to list where a product was made or printed in my reviews. This book has been printed in many places since its original writing. While my softcover copy was printed in the United States, I have found other copies of this book to have been printed in Mexico and Singapore.

YOu should read Favorite Greek Myths sometime. If you have it you should read it again. The first one was the story of Helios and Phaeton. Phaeton wanted to know if he really was the son of Helios. He asked Helios if he was his son. Helios said he would grant him one wish to prove that he was his father. Phaeton asked if he could drive Helios' chariot. He drove the chariot and it went off the track that Helios made and he was heading straight toward earth. Zeus struck the chariot with an thunder bolt to stop Phaeton from chocking Mother Earth. The chariot fell onto the harbor of the sea. Helios never let anyone ride his chariot again. Other stories in this book include stories about King Midas, the Great Bear, Atalanta, Cupid and more. I liked this book. It was 5 stars.