Tales from the Odyssey: The One-Eyed Giant - Book #1 [Paperback]

Mary Pope Osborne (Author), Troy Howell (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2, 2003 | Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up | Series: Tales from the Odyssey (Book 1)

When Odysseus must leave his home to fight the Trojan War, he never imagines that he’ll be away from his family for so many years. Now, at long last, he is leading his men home across the seas. But many dangers await them – and none is more terrifying than Polyphemus, the one-eyed giant.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

For graduates of D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths, these installments of the Tales from the Odyssey series deftly distill episodes from Homer's epic. Osborne (the Magic Tree House series) opens the first volume as Odysseus receives King Agamemnon's orders to join the fight against Troy, and bring home the Greek queen, Helen, kidnapped by a Trojan prince. In succinct chapters, the author then traces the labyrinthine journey of Odysseus and his men as they attempt to sail home to Ithaca. She touches on their encounters with the island of the lotus-eaters, Polyphemus the Cyclops and Aeolus, god of the winds. The second book brings the hero and his band to the island of the cannibal giants who devour a number of Odysseus's men, the palace of Circe the enchantress, who transforms some of the Greeks into swine, and the Land of the Dead, where Odysseus encounters his mother's ghost. Plot takes precedence over character development, but the hero's bravery and fidelity come through in his actions. In brief chapters and concise sentences, Osborne pares down each of these adventures into easily absorbed, swiftly paced episodes that will keep readers anxiously anticipating book three, Mermaids and Monsters, scheduled for spring 2003. Each volume includes a glossary of gods and goddesses and a pronunciation guide to the characters' names, which also help recommend this series as a tidy introduction to Homer and to Greek mythology. Final artwork not seen by PW. Ages 8-11. (Sept.)
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Reviewed with Mary Pope Osborne's The Land of the Dead .

Gr. 4-8. Osborne turns her considerable skill in retelling myths to Homer's Odyssey in these slim, charming opening volumes in her Tales from the Odyssey series. In the first volume, One-Eyed Giant, Odysseus and his men commence their perilous homeward journey at the conclusion of the Trojan War, first encountering the lotus-eaters and then pitching desperate battle with the fearsome Cyclops. In Land of the Dead, the travelers escape from the wily Circe, only to brave the Land of the Dead in search of the wisdom of the blind prophet Tiresias. Osborne's simple, engaging narrative will surely capture interest as it presents a great hero in bold, yet human, dimensions--protecting his men, longing for home, wondering what the next catastrophe will be. The idea of delivering the classic story in small, beautifully written, accessible bites will appeal to both teachers and young readers, who will eagerly await subsequent volumes. Each book includes a short pantheon of major gods and goddesses, a pronunciation guide, and information about Homer and mythology. Anne O'Malley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion (September 2, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786809280
• ISBN-13: 978-0786809288
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 4.9 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #435,105 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #90 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Literature > Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths > Greek & Roman

More About the Author

"I'm one of those very lucky people who absolutely loves what they do for a living. There is no career better suited to my eccentricities, strengths, and passions than that of a children's book author."--Mary Pope Osborne

Mary Pope Osborne is the author of the popular Magic Tree House series. She works with her husband Will and her sister Natalie on the nonfiction companion series, Magic Tree House Research Guides. Many of her books have been named to best-books lists.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Introduction to the Odyssey, April 8, 2006

By 

Learning All The Time "It's Never Too Late to... (USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Tales from the Odyssey: The One-Eyed Giant - Book #1 (Paperback)

We read these books as part of our study of ancient Greece. The kids absolutely loved these stories, and were riveted by the Trojan War and the Cyclops.

The literature loving purist in me was a bit wary of reading "watered-down" classics to my children, but then I read Jessie Wise Bauer's Well-Trained Mind. She advocates giving kids age appropriate versions of classic literature so that they grow to love the stories and are therefore unintimidated by the original texts when they are older. This made so much intuitive sense to me, and so in that spirit, I introduced my children to these great little books.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I read it in one day it was so good!, November 24, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Tales from the Odyssey: The One-Eyed Giant - Book #1 (Hardcover)

This book was exciting, tense and kept me reading it. I love Ms. Osborne's style of writing. I ran out and bought the 2nd book the next day, and finished it that day.

My favorite part was when they met the one eyed giant.

Austin
Age 10

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect Intro For Young Readers, May 25, 2006

By 

homeschooler (Indianapolis) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tales from the Odyssey: The One-Eyed Giant - Book #1 (Paperback)

We began this series before the 5th and 6th books were completed. My daughter (then 5) absolutely loved the stories and kept asking when we would get to finish the series. Her little sister was enthralled by the books as well. They were thrilled when our set was completed, and both enjoyed the much anticipated ending. Since then, my now 7 year-old has read through this series probably 3 times on her own. A few months ago, she dedicated a weekend to reading all 6 books -- with occasional Barbie breaks. While the Odyssey books are quick reads and by no means comprehensive, the author stays true to the original storyline in an age-appropriate manner and deepens young readers' interest in the epic. After devouring this series, my daughter will definitely enjoy listening to me read The Children's Homer (which is also a wonderful child-friendly version) to her. I'm sorry, but I have to throw this in for those that may not fully appreciate the author's Magic Tree House series . . .the Odyssey series is well written and not sappy like the Magic Tree House books (which, admittedly, my kids love to listen to OVER and OVER again on audio - and they are educational -- just so saccharine). Part of the charm for my daughter, who admires all things beautiful, was the hardback format of the Odyssey series; they are indeed lovely little books. Maybe Mary Pope Osborne should tackle the Gilgamesh epic??? I appreciate that she clearly loves to write accurate works for children and wants them to enjoy reading while learning something new and important.