A Wonder Book for Girls and Boys (The Iona and Peter Opie Library of Children's Literature) [Hardcover]

Nathaniel Hawthorne (Author), Walter Crane (Illustrator), Ola d'Aulaire (Introduction), Joel Pfister (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 19, 1996 | Series: The Iona and Peter Opie Library of Children's Literature

Here are the stories of King Midas, Pandora, Medusa, Hercules, and the other inhabitants of Mount Olympus told by one of America's greatest writers. Written in 1851 as a money-maker for the struggling Hawthorne, A Wonder Book has become a favorite for generations of children everywhere. Hawthorne's mastery of adventure and his command of narrative and character open a child's mind to the wondrous landscapes of ancient mythology in stories such as "The Gorgon's Head" and "The Three Golden Apples." Oxford has created a beautiful and memorable edition of this classic children's text with illustrations by famed book artist Walter Crane, whose full-color plates and decorative art originally accompanied the text in the late 1800s. An introduction by Ola d'Aulaire, son of the creators of D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths, sets the stage for the young reader, and an afterword for adults by Hawthorne scholar Joel Pfister places A Wonder Book in Hawthorne's body of work and in historical context, conveying the strength of its romantic imagination in the face of the encroaching Industrial Revolution. Adults and collectors will find this major new edition a treasure and their children will happily enter a world of magic and imagination, led by one of the greatest American storytellers.

Editorial Reviews

Review

From Seven Gables to Six Myths "A handsome replica of the original 1893 edition, A Wonder Book for Girls and Boys by Nathaniel Hawthorne features Medusa, Hercules, Pandora, Midas et al--and the art of the illustrious Walter Crane.... Crane's color plates are lushly romantic in style; the plainer printed story titles and illuminated letters are just as beautiful."--Publishers Weekly

"Hawthorne's delightful retelling of Greek myths displays his command of narrative and character as well as his sense of adventure. The stories of Midas, Medusa, Hercules, and others will delight both children and adult readers."--The Tampa Tribune Times

"A marvelous recreation of mythological tales in text and drawing. A delight for all ages."--King Features Syndicate

"An exceptionally fine series of Hawthorne retellings of Greek classics.... An excellent keepsake edition."--The Children's Bookwatch

"These stories have seldom been better dressed."--Book Reviews on the Internet

About the Author

Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864), though best known for his novels and short stories for adults, also produced several works for children, including a companion volume to A Wonder Book called Tanglewood Tales (1853).
About the Illustrator:
Walter Crane (1845-1915) was one of the most popular English illustrators of children's books in the late nineteenth century. He was one of the first book artists to experiment with color in picture books.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (December 19, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195107187
• ISBN-13: 978-0195107180
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,215,462 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Vibrant Treasure, January 31, 2002

By 

Terrie (Little Chute, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Wonder Book for Girls and Boys (Iona and Peter Opie Library of Children's Literature) (Paperback)

This affordably priced quality paperback edition of familiar tales from Greek mythology is truly a treasure and a wonderful way to enjoy these timeless stories or to introduce them to young people. One of America's greatest writers, Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote these versions of stories about Pandora, Medusa, Hercules, King Midas and the host of gods and goddesses that make up the Greek pantheon. The language is evocative and colorful yet easily understandable. You needn't worry if your high school teacher's assigned reading of "The Scarlet Letter" bored you to tears, as this collection of stories is filled with exciting adventures and vivid characters. I love the beautiful illustrations in this book. They were done by Walter Crane, one of the most popular illustrators of children's books in the late 19th century. The paintings are in the Pre-Raphaelite style in full color. The decorations at the beginning of each chapter are filled with Victorian charm and make this new editon seem like a well-loved antique. There are many excellent anthologies of the Greek myths on the market but rarely will you find one that utilizes such substantial talents as those employed by Hawthorne and Crane or that so thoroughly draw the reader in to the romantic and turbulent world of heroes, maidens and the capricious deities who stir their fates. I highly recommend this book. It is a classic that will enrich the mind and heart of a young reader and open the way for further discovery.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Beautiful Book!, January 13, 2001

By 

Kate (springfield, mo) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Wonder Book for Girls and Boys (The Iona and Peter Opie Library of Children's Literature) (Hardcover)

This is a remarkable book, with rich detail in both illustration and prose. Particularly wonderful for reading aloud together, my sons enjoyed this book through several years, and asked for the stories often.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Wonder Book, January 24, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: A Wonder Book for Girls and Boys (The Iona and Peter Opie Library of Children's Literature) (Hardcover)

This book belongs to the genre category of myths and legends. Out of a possible five stars I would rate this book a four because the content is very dense, and at times a bit hard to understand. But still, the book was very gripping. The author's vocabulary is vast, and some of the words he used I had never heard. Some of the sentences are phrased abnormally too. The sentences are considerably lengthy.

This book is full of tales such as "The Golden Touch," "Three Golden Apples," "The Paradise of Children," "The Gorgon's Head," and others. Since the stories were written in the 1800's the writing style is much different than the current modern day style.

The storyteller, Eustace Bright, is in the town of Tangle Wood with all of his nieces and nephews, at their family house. The kids always request a story from their uncle Eustace, and then he would proceed to tell a wonderful story filled with fantasy characters, and of course; there was always an obvious moral to each tale.

I enjoyed this book, and each story within it. The characters in the stories had great personalities, which made the book a thrill to read. It's full of imaginary settings, and magical things.

Eustace Bright told many stories of heroes such as Hercules, on quests. Along the way, they would meet up with all sorts of creatures. For instance in the tale, "The Three Golden Apples" Hercules comes across a man, who has the burden of holding the sky upon his shoulders.

Over all I would recommend this book. Especially to those who enjoy fairytales and fantasy stories. However, like I said, the book can be a quite hard to understand at times. This is a miraculous book, filled with extraordinary characters.