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Oct 12, 2010

Abigail rated it:

This classic introduction to Greek mythology for children, written and illustrated by the husband-wife team, is divided into three main sections. The first covers the beginnings of the world and the stories of the Olympian gods and goddesses; the second is devoted to the minor gods, nymphs, satyrs, and centaurs; and the third relates the tales of the human heroes of epic and play.

Although some of the gorier details of these myths have been glossed over, the authors have opted for gene More...

10 comments like (9 people liked it)

Jan 28, 2012

Susanna rated it:

I adored this book when I was a child.

2 comments like (3 people liked it)

Dec 16, 2007

'Trie rated it:

This is the very first book I remember reading all by my little self when I was three and I have read it a million more times. My copy is old (stolen from my elder brother, in fact; it was his first), taped back together, missing it's covers, and extremely well-loved. It has inspired a lifelong fascination with mythology and the ancient world and probably played a large part in my obsessive need to learn everything about everything--not that that's possibly, but it's fun to try. The stories h More...

0 comments like (8 people liked it)

Oct 10, 2009

G. Branden rated it:

Everyone, no matter what his or her age, should read this indispensable retelling of the Greek Myths, a foundation stone of the Western tradition.

I feel immensely fortunate that I was exposed to this title by my parents at a very young age.

It does, however, have two drawbacks, one I can forgive and one I almost cannot. First, the myths are a little bit bowdlerized. But since this is a book for children (albeit one which doesn't hesitate to stretch the vocabularies of yo More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Dec 11, 2009

Michelle rated it:

This book is amazing. The retellings of the myths are vibrant and fascinating and the illustrations are mild enough for a child to enjoy but compelling enough to interest an adult.

When I was a kid, I used to take this book out of the library over and over and I would read it when I was at a friend's house and they had a copy. Naturally I had to buy my son, Archer a copy of the book because I wanted him to love it like I did. Kids don't always love what their parents love, however, More...

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Dec 15, 2009

Rachel rated it:

This book introduced me to Greek mythology and I've yet to find its equal in the genre. I first read this in grade school, having found the hardcover version in my school library. I checked it out several times--though it's an oversize book and was therefore as a hardcover a bit heavy to drag home and back, I always felt it was worth it.

The artwork is incredibly detailed and beautiful, and the written portrayal of the various gods and goddesses, heroes and monsters is highly sympathe More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 28, 2008

Michael rated it:

Even though I was probably past the reading level of this book when I received it as a kid, I loved it. This is a beautiful book that I still go back and read every once in a while.

The one thing it's missing is some sort of grounding to the real Greeks. I never learned who the Greeks really were until much later. Perhaps a child reading this book should also read a simple book on Greek history along with it.

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Feb 17, 2010

Joanna rated it:

I discovered this book in the 5th grade in my school's library. I would sit cross legged right on the floor by the bottom shelf where it was kept, spread out the huge, thick book on my lap and read while I looked at the wonderful drawings. When we moved I semi-forgot about the book, not remembering the author's name; when I was in college I was walking by a bookstore in a mall when I glanced at the display case to see a book with the same style of drawings. I immediately went in to discover t More...

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Oct 04, 2011

GoldGato rated it:

This book looks like a simple re-telling of ancient Greek mythology. And yes, it is that. But what makes this such a treasure is the way they put it together. There is a thread, much as the Fates spun theirs for humans. For example, when the chapter on Theseus concludes, the next chapter starts with the tale of Oedipus meeting Theseus. Thus, we learn the tale of Oedipus.

The drawings are simple, but tell the entire story. Instead of focusing on just an illustration of a character, the More...

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Aug 22, 2008

Soraya rated it:

I don't know what it was about this book but I remember always cheking it out at the school library over and over again. My teacher had to force me to get another book to do a report on. So then i went from obssesing over greek myth to astroligy. She got sick of constilation report too. Great book for kids!

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Sep 01, 2011

Stuart rated it:

Hands down the best book of Greek Myths ever, this classic is a good introduction for kids and holds up as a principal reference work for adult. Beautifully illustrated with pictures that fascinated and haunted me from the first time I saw them, this book is also scrupulously researched and written in clear but evocative language that translates the power and importance of these stories. Thorough, almost every Greek god and major or minor myth is represented here, with the Trojan War and all tha More...

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Jan 20, 2012

Frantzy rated it:

I don't know much about Greek mythology so i did buy this book as a fun way to learn about the gods and the history of this particular mythology. It is a big book with big works and lovely pictures, which makes it not only an easy read but also very enjoyable one.In my opinion I think the author did a great job linking all the stories together, the transition between each story allowed me (the reader) to understand the relationship between the gods and how it develops over time. I would recommen More...

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Feb 05, 2011

Megan-Marie rated it:

This book was my introduction to Greek mythology, and I remember long hours sitting in our basement studying the beautiful illustrations and reading the text. Stories about how things are the way they are have long been my favorite, and many of these myths have a "just so-story" aspect--one of my favorites was the one about Hera and the watchman who had a thousand eyes; at the end, he became the peacock.

As with any D'Aulaire book, the pictures are rich, beautiful, and intrig More...

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Jun 05, 2008

booklady rated it:

One of those books every home should have...every child should read growing up. No, no, not that they should believe in them, but like Mother Goose, they form part of our Western understanding of who we are. We come from the Greeks. And this book is beautiful!

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Oct 28, 2010

Austin rated it:

My six year old brought this home from the library because it has a creepy picture of Medusa in it. It's meant for kids older than six, and so he doesn't get all of it, but he gets enough to enjoy it. I like when Hera makes Heracles "insane" and he goes around killing everyone and then has to repent. And when he tells Atlas to take over holding up the sky for a minute so he can adjust his cape (made from the skin of the Nemean lion) and instead of adjusting it he just takes the gold More...

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Dec 31, 2010

Darren rated it:

It was very interesting. I'd say if you don't like mythology you shouldn't really read it. My favorite mythology was when there was a goddess at dinner who did not got invited to a wedding, but aphrodite, athena and hera got invited so she threw a golden apple in between them. She said that the fairest goddess gets it, so all 3 of them thought they were fariest. Then Zeus did not want to make any one of them angry so he told a Trojan prince named Paris to come and judge. Then Athena was like " More...

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Feb 16, 2010

Leah rated it:

I was obsessed with this book when I was little. I took it out from the library 7 or 8 times and then I finally stole it in grade 3. At the end of grade 5 when I was moving to middle school I felt guilty and returned it to the library. I always regretted returning it because I couldn't find it anywhere after that (I couldn't remember the title). Then, 16 years later, I was walking through Barnes and Noble and I saw it sitting on top of a pile of novels. It was perfectly elevated where I cou More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Nov 12, 2009

Joseph rated it:

What I read in this book was all about the greek gods and how they use to live. I read how Zeus use to be the king of gods and Hera was the queen and the wife of Zeus. Zeus had 7 brothers and sisters and his father ate them all because he taught they were going to end up stronger then him Zeus did not get eaten and came out stronger then his father. In my opinion this myth was a very good and interesting to read. In this myth I read about mother nature also and how she watch over the land th More...

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May 30, 2008

Becky rated it:

A favorite since childhood. I remember checking this book out repeatedly from the public library when I was little and getting lost in the stories and illustrations. A Classic.

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Nov 24, 2010

Meghan rated it:

The funny thing about this book is that a friend kept recommending it to me and talking about how much she loved it as a kid. I would look for it now and again when I was at half-price but it is a tough one to come by. Recently, I did a big bookshelf reorganization and involved color coding all of our books. As odd as this sounds, while in the process I came across this very book. Turns out Rick had bought it long ago to help with some test writing he was doing.
JT and I haven't given this More...

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Jan 18, 2011

Christen rated it:

As a kid I read constantly (probably 4-5 books a week), and this was one of my favorite books to re-read. I don't know how many times I've read it, but every single story and illustration felt intimately familiar when I opened it now, 20 years later. This book instilled me with a great love of mythology and classical antiquity that I still have to this day. I bought my own copy this Christmas for sentimental and nostalgic reasons, and I'm so glad I did. Looking at it with adult eyes, I see now More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Feb 14, 2008

Monica rated it:

Dad gave me this as a kid. It holds a dear place in my heart. Every kid should have one (a dad, yes but I mean the book).

4 comments like (1 person liked it)

Dec 03, 2008

Christine rated it:

I've had this book for most of my life. I've read it so much that at a point in my childhood I knew exactly what page would follow the one I am on, what picture I could expect to see, what words I could expect to read. (Even though I've memorized all the myths by heart thanks to this book.)

I love the illustrations, so soft and the colors don't want to murder your eyes.

This is one of those books I will make sure my far-in-the-future kids have access to. Of course the this More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Sep 09, 2011

Harper rated it:

I was cruising around Barnes & Noble and saw this in the kids' section. It just made me so happy, because when I was in elementary/middle school I had this whole plan to steal the library's copy, I loved it so much.

This is a good start on learning about Greek myths. Some of the illustrations may seem dated to all the kids that want flashy, cartoonish artwork, but this is a good, solid book. The myths are clear-cut and interesting, and D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths will definitely fos More...

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Feb 20, 2011

Mary E R rated it:

I have used this book several times in both my 6th grade reading class and my 6th grade World History class. While I do not have students read the book cover to cover, I use the book as a resource for research of major and minor Greek gods and relatively short, easily, understood versions of major Greek myths. Using this book as a resource, students have made Greek god posters, cards and facebook pages and retold myths in the form of a comic strip or re-written as a student produced play. It More...

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Oct 30, 2010

Martha rated it:

I read this book in elementary school, and it started a fascination with Greek myths that led me to read all of Bullfinch's Mythology (despite the fact that it was supposed to be "too advanced for me.") I enjoyed the illustrations almost as much as the stories, and I'd recommend this to any kid who's into fantasy. (Warning though -- as I remember, it tones down some of the more adult content from the original myths, so the kids may feel that it's not the best version if, like me, they More...

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Jan 26, 2011

Ruth rated it:

This book is simply fantastic. If you were to buy one book on Greek mythology to read to your children, this should be it. The stories are clearly and poetically written. The mythology covered includes the origins of the world and some background on each of the Greek gods. Also included are many stories about the gods' interactions with humanity, stories of their many half-mortal children and their adventures (for good or bad), as well as the stories of the Greek heroes, kings, queens, and b More...

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Feb 22, 2011

Evan rated it:

Reading this back in fourth grade more permanently opened me up to the world of Greek mythology, which is still very crucial for a modern western education, especially if you are interested in literature at all. I have read Edith Norton as well, which is also excellent, and other re-tellings such as C.S. Lewis' Till We Have Faces, but this original is what started it all. I just wish that the author covered more mythologies in this series, because reading the Norse one was also excellent.

3 comments like

Oct 30, 2011

Allison rated it:

It's okay. Definitely a child's primer on Greek mythology. It also has some weird variations on myths I've read before in Hamilton's "Mythology" and elsewhere. Did the gods really make robots? And, if Zeus's reign came to an end like his forefathers, why wasn't it due to one of his sons coming to power like his forefathers? Definitely watered down for kids: here, Zeus "courts" Leda instead of the traditional account of seducing and/or raping. Anyway, the illustrations are nea

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Jul 19, 2011

Aaronschafer rated it:

This book is filled with Greek myths. One of myths I read in it was about Poseidon, one of Zues' brothers. Taking the place of Nereus, Poseidon is made God of the sea. Poseidon was a moody and violent god. He would cause the earth to shake and cause grate waves to form. Before retiring, Nereus, the previous sea god, gave one of his daughters to Poseidon where they...

Without giving away the ending. This is just one of many interesting stories about the Greek Gods.

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