Customer Reviews

Illustrated Book of Myths

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4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
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This book suited my purposes perfectly! It was bought with the intent to introduce the myths and legends of other cultures to my young son. The stories are not terribly long, an average of 1-4 pages in length. A great book for children and adults alike!

When Neil Philip and Nilesh Mistry work on a project together, something almost magical happens. I am completely in love with every book either of these highly talented souls have worked on.

Myths, these narratives, involving supernatural or fantasy people, embody admired ideas on expected or social phenomena. In this selection, we are given glimpses into the culture from which the myth originated.

Background information, color photographs, geographical context and the illustrations by Nilesh Mistry make this a compelling read. The most popular myths from all over the world are included and are retold by Neil Philip who is an authority on mythology and folklore. The stories are grouped together so you can see not only the variations in the same type of story, but also see the similarities between cultures.

The myths are divided up into: Creation Myths, Beginnings, Fertility and Cultivation, Gods and People, Gods and Animals, Visions of The End and a special section about who is who in mythology called: Gods and Pantheons.

The myths are: Egyptian, Serbian, Norse, Chinese, Japanese, Australian, Iranian, Native American, Siberian, Sumerian, Indonesia, Sumerian, Finnish, Greek, Norse, Polynesian, West African, East African, Celtic, Hittite, Indian, Anglo-Saxon, Welsh, Haitian, Roman, Aztec, Irish, Inuit.

While the Greek story of Midas and the Golden touch is very familiar, the Japanese story of Benten and the Serpent King was completely new to me. More familiar tales include: Gilgamesh, The Great Flood, The Tree of Life, The Sword in the Stone, The Holy Grail, Beowulf and The Fall of Icarus.

You will enjoy reading the retellings that evoke a feeling of the original tales, and seeing the amazing full-color illustrations and color photographs that breathe new life into these delightful stories.

A Celebration of our Infinite Imaginations.

~The Rebecca Review

The Illustrated Book of Myths is full of wonderful stories from all over the world. I give this book as a baby gift. It is great to read to small children and the stories will reappear for the children as they grow. Characters and stories from myths occur in much poetry, drama, essays, and fiction. This is also a good book to "look stuff up in" as one of my children says. The information is readily available and easy to find. And the illustrations are just fabulous.

This is a very good introductory collection of world myths organized by general themes. The myths included are condensed, but with enough detail to whet any child's appetite to learn more. The illustrations are generally good, although some are a bit better executed than others.

There is one glaring omission, though, and that is the inclusion of any Judeo-Christian or Muslim myths. Only one myth refers to Buddha. If a few of these more recent myths were included where relevant, the Illustrated Book of Myths would be a five!

The 57 fabulous myths included in this highly original illustrated children's book truly hail from ancient civilization. Everything Middle Eastern precedes the coming of Christ, and only two Celtic tales (both concerning fertility and cultivation) even marginally address Judeo-Christian traditions.

Here kids can learn about the myths that dominated for centuries, from China and Japan to ancient Greece, Sumeria and Iran (where Zoroastrians worshiped the wise lord Ahura Mazda, whose first fire-priest Gayomart tended his sign---a flame). "All men are born good," the myth recounts," "and the earth is happiest where one of the faithful is standing...and sows corn," spreading the words of Ahura Mazda, who decreed that all men and women are free to choose for themselves between good and evil.

This book is truly a smorgasbord of ancient mythical delights, and parents who want to educate and satisfy their children could hardly find a better place to look. A fabulous find, especially for independent, middle school readers.

This is far and away the very best book on mythology -- for young people and busy adults -- that I know of. The illustrations are priceless; the text inclusive, yet concise. It is a table-top book to treasure, and to use whenever a name or a story come to mind.

My daughter received this book at about age 7 or 8. She loved it and read it many times. We let someone borrow it and it was never returned. I replaced it for my daughter who is now 17. She still loves the look. It's great for children or adults.

My 8 year old daughter and I saw this book in the reference section of the library. We loved it so much that we had to get our own copy.

I think this is a great way to get children into myths. It has a lot of neat pictures and parents can read the book to them, if there still too young to understand every thing.