A master storyteller and an award-winning illustrator evoke the golden age of mythical Greece in this spirited retelling of The Odyssey.
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reviews
May 25, 2011
Micah
rated it: 
Well, I've already put it aside to give away, if that tells you something. We so enjoyed Black Ships Before Troy, that this came as a great disappointment. The writing didn't captivate in the way the former did. Though, perhaps I'm holding it to an anachronistic standard by expecting the protagonist to be empathetic.
Beyond the fact that you don't really like Odysseus for the first two-thirds of the book, the narrative is unnecessarily graphic. While I acknowledge that the subject More...
Beyond the fact that you don't really like Odysseus for the first two-thirds of the book, the narrative is unnecessarily graphic. While I acknowledge that the subject More...
Apr 08, 2010
Ron
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This book is about Odysseus, the mythical king of Ithaca, who has to get home from Troy, but does not know the way. The setting is in Greece, and Odysseus's external conflict, is him dealing with the God's and monsters. Odysseus's internal conflict, is him trying to find home and thinking about his wife and kids.
When Odysseus fights the Cyclops and kills him, it reminds me of when Apollo, the god of music killed the Cyclops for killing his son.
I would give this book 5 sta More...
When Odysseus fights the Cyclops and kills him, it reminds me of when Apollo, the god of music killed the Cyclops for killing his son.
I would give this book 5 sta More...
Dec 18, 2011
Megan
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This is a great book to use if you want to introduce The Odyssey to a tween (age 11-3. It addresses all of the major themes (longing for home, desire for glory, hospitality, etc.) and all of the adventures are adequately covered as well. For the more squeamish, some descriptions are a bit disgusting (example: when Polyphemos eats Odysseus's men) but not quite as detailed as the original text. I imagine most of my 12-year-old girl students will wrinkle their noses and ask if we can just skip thos
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Aug 09, 2011
Elizabeth
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Another great narrative (from an epic) from author Rosemary Sutcliff. This would be great resource for students while reading an epic version. She also puts the events in chronological order instead of the traditional plot scheme of this story (which is easier for Westernized thought). My only concern is a few illustrations with breasts, if indeed this becomes part of a class library.
Jan 28, 2009
Louisa
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I liked this book simply because it was much easier than reading the actually Odyssey. While I do think that there is some inappropriate content in the book, I think I could use sections of it in my classroom. I think that the Odyssey is such a big part of where heroic stories came from that it is important to teach. It will only add to the children's cultural experiences.
Jan 13, 2009
Sam
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While I find this book an easy way to interest and explain the Odyssey to young children, I felt like it greatly dumbed-down the experience. It was too shifty, and jumped from one story to another with no transitions. This would be a great read-aloud with a class if you were doing a unit that correlates to the Odyssey though.
Apr 12, 2011
Erin
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I forgot to add this book I read as part of my class last semester. This is a good adaptation of the story of the Odyssey that is more kid-friendly but includes a lot of the detail of the original story. It would be a good introduction for any child to this famous story.
Apr 18, 2011
Tim
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I read this with Calvin (almost 6 years old). It was great; we both enjoyed it a great deal Along with The Black Ships it reminded me of how awesome Homer is. This is a great introduction to the Odyssey for younger folks. I heartily recommend it.
Sep 21, 2010
Ryan
rated it:
This is a wonderfully illustrated and condensed version of Homer's classic. I loved the pictures that eerily depict Odysseus' travels after the Trojan War. I hope my kids find it as entertaining as I did.
Feb 03, 2009
Rachel
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I wasn't a big fan of this book. It was a very shortened version of the adventures of Odysseus. There was hardly any characterization or describing of events. It felt more like a summary of the real thing. This book could be helpful in the elementary classroom to help teach a little bit about Greek mythology and legends.
Nov 01, 2011
R
rated it:
This was my first introduction to "The Odyssey" as a child and I loved it. I thought both Circe and Penelope were awesome, because Circe could turn people into pigs and because Penelope tricked the suitors. I also loved the illustrations.
Jul 19, 2010
Ray
rated it:
Traditional Fantasy
Grades 5-8
Themes: heros; Greek mythology
Ways to use with children: introduce Greek Mythology; lit circles; choose a chapter and act it out or make a movie
Grades 5-8
Themes: heros; Greek mythology
Ways to use with children: introduce Greek Mythology; lit circles; choose a chapter and act it out or make a movie
Apr 21, 2009
This is the first time I have actually understood the Odyssey! It seemed like it stayed true to the Odyssey, but it was toned down enough to actually be understood.
Jan 21, 2009
Great! I thought it kept the interest quite well. I thought it moved from each wandering to the next fairly quickly, which may be good for children.
Jun 12, 2011
Megan
rated it:
This is a decent summarization of The Odyssey, much easier than tackling the original text. It would make a good introduction to Greek myth, especially among kids in grades 4-7.
Aug 09, 2009
This was a good book to help me understand the story of Odysseus better. It put it in plain language and its easier to follow.
* traditional fantasy
* traditional fantasy
Jan 26, 2009
A great way to learn the story of the Odyssey without having to read the original. A fun way to teach the story to elementary aged kids.
Jul 03, 2011
Frank
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This is the childrens version of the Odyssey, and for my children the source of background knowledge for the Percy Jackson series.
Jul 17, 2009
Kami
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*Traditional Fantasy* I thought this book was a concise version of the very long stories of Odysseus. I did not particularly enjoy it because it was so fast, and the stories were very short and devoid of much detail. But if you wanted to be exposed to these epic stories, it gets to the point and tells the stories.
Apr 25, 2009
Shelley
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I didn't really enjoy this book. I like the fact that is was trying to retell the story of the Odyssey, but the writing was unexciting.
Jan 21, 2009
Teri
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Great! Is a I-must-know-what-finally-happens-in-the-end type of book. Has a happy ending, well, at least for Odysseus.
Apr 24, 2011
Amy
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This book was amazing! I now have such a strong love for classical literature and I look forward to reading much more of it.
May 12, 2009
Casey
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Much easier than Odyssey for introducing this classic story. Great way to get younger reader familiar with a very famous story.
Jul 04, 2010
Jenny
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The stories are so amazing!!!! Written in simple language, and a great read for pasting time, or to be in a good mood.
Jan 03, 2010
James
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I was glad to find an abbreviated and illustrated version of this great story that I could read to my children.
Apr 15, 2009
All kids should be exposed to the Odyssey. This helped me to understand the Odyssey even better than I have.
Jan 06, 2010
Recommended by my good friends, Brian and Lori, who read these books with their kids.
Jul 06, 2011
Luca
rated it:
This book is a great interpretation of Homer's Odyssey. The flow is great.
Dec 17, 2010
I liked it. It was a bit too violent for my taste but I still enjoyed it.
