Tales from the Odyssey: The Gray-Eyed Goddess - Book #4 (Tales from the Odyssey)
by Mary Pope Osborne
from Hyperion
For nearly twenty years, Odysseus has fought terrifying giants and monsters, weathered the loss of his men, and angered gods and goddesses. Now he is trapped on the island of the alluring sea goddess, Calypso. Back in Ithaca, his wife, Penelope, and their son, Telemachus, are desperately warding off the suitors who want to marry Penelope in order to take control of Odysseus's island. Then a visit from a mysterious stranger gives Telemachus the courage to confront the suitors, and to head off in search of his long-lost father. Could the stranger be the gray-eyed warrior goddess, Athena?
Filipino Children's Favorite Stories
by Liana Elena Romulo
from Periplus Editions
From "The Prince's Bride" to "The Magic Lake" to "The Deer and the Snail", the classic Filipino children's stories have amused, inspired, and taught millions of children throughout the centuries with poignant, universal life lessons. Now they're gathered together-many for the first time-in this gorgeous volume. Selected and retold by Liana Elena Romulo, augmented with whimsical watercolor illustrations by award-winning artist Joanne De Leon, this precious collection of adored Filipino myths and stories is sure to become a Western classic.
King Midas and the Golden Touch
by Charlotte Craft
from HarperTrophy
"There once lived a very rich king called Midas
who believed that nothing was more precious than gold."
So begins this imaginative and breathtaking retelling of the myth of the man with the golden touch. When a mysterious stranger offers to reward Midas for a kindness, the king does not hesitate: He wishes that all he touches would turn to gold. To his delight, his wish is granted and he soon sets about transforming his ordinary palace into a place of golden beauty. But to his dismay, when he accidentally turns his beloved daughter into a golden statue, Midas learns that what at first seems a blessing can also become a curse.
Japanese Children's Favorite Stories Book One
by Florence Sakade
from Tuttle Publishing
Commemorating the 50th anniversary of one of our all-time best-selling titles. With a new foreword, each story has been lovingly revised and reset, and all the sparkling illustrations appear in color for the very first time. With so many enchanting stories to choose from, young readers will have a delightful time deciding which is their very favorite.
This classic book has had 51 reprints and sold over 175,000 copies since it was first released in 1953. Other titles in our growing series of Asian Children's Favorite Stories include Favorite Children's Stories from China and Tibet, Balinese Children's Favorite Stories and Filipino Children's Favorite Stories.
Lilith's Cave: Jewish Tales of the Supernatural
by Howard Schwartz
from Oxford University Press, USA
Once upon a time in the city of Tunis, a flirtatious young girl was drawn into Lilith's dangerous web by glancing repeatedly at herself in the mirror. It seems that a demon daughter of the legendary Lilith had made her home in the mirror and would soon completely possess the unsuspecting
girl. Such tales of terror and the supernatural occupy an honored position in the Jewish folkloric tradition.
Howard Schwartz has superbly translated and retold fifty of the best of these folktales, now collected into one volume for the first time. Gathered from countless sources ranging from the ancient Middle East to twelfth-century Germany and later Eastern European oral tradition, these
captivating stories include Jewish variants of the Pandora and Persephone myths and of such famous folktales as "The Fisherman and His Wife," "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," and "Bluebeard," as well as several tales from the Middle Ages that have never before been published.
Focusing on crucial turning points in life--birth, marriage, and death--the tales feature wandering spirits, marriage with demons, werewolves, speaking heads, possession by dybbuks (souls of the dead who enter the bodies of the living), and every other kind of supernatural adversary. Readers
will encounter a carpenter who is haunted when he makes a violin from the wood of a coffin; a wife who saves herself from the demoness her husband has inadvertently married by agreeing to share him for an hour each day; and the age-old tale of Lilith, Adam's first wife, who refused to submit to him
and instead banished herself from the Garden of Eden to give birth to the demons of the world.
Drawn from Rabbinic sources, medieval Jewish folklore, Hasidic texts, and oral tradition, these stories will equally entrance readers of Jewish literature and those with an affection for fantasy and the supernatural.
Rainbow Crow (Dragonfly Books)
by Nancy Van Laan
from Dragonfly Books
Illus. in full color. This story of how the Rainbow Crow lost his sweet voice and brilliant colors by bringing the gift of fire to the other woodland animals is "a Native American legend that will be a fine read-aloud because of the smooth text and songs with repetitive chants. The illustrations, done in a primitive style, create a true sense of the Pennsylvania Lenape Indians and their winters."--School Library Journal. Â
The McElderry Book of Greek Myths (Margaret K. McElderry Book)
by Eric A. Kimmel
from Margaret K. McElderry
Walk among the gods and goddesses, men and monsters, in this enchanting volume of classic Greek myths! Here are twelve of the most beloved legends of Greek mythology, from Pandora and her dreaded box to Icarus with his wings of wax, and, of course, that greedy, gold-fingered King Midas. Vibrant art adds a fresh twist to this collection, giving today's readers their own version of these timeless tales.
Eric A. Kimmel brings these adventures to life with language that is colloquial and easy to read. Pep Monserrat breathes beautiful modern colors and style into his paintings, even as he reinvents images from classical antiquity. Together they've created a masterpiece of mythology, perfect for young readers.
Illustrated Book of Myths
from DK CHILDREN
Every culture in history has had its own myths to help explain the world through the power of story. This engaging book offers a delightful, sweeping view of world mythology--not just the famous stories of the Greeks and Romans, but also the stories of Native Americans and legends from South America, Africa, Scandinavia, Asia, and Australia. Young readers will learn about Zeus and Pandora from Greece, King Arthur from England, Maui-of-a-Thousand-Tricks from Polynesia, the Rainbow Serpent from West Africa, and dozens of other colorful, larger-than-life characters from around the world.
Myth-master Neil Philip has taken a thematic approach, organizing the legends around themes such as creation myths, fertility and cultivation, gods and animals, and visions of the end. Within each theme, eight to twelve myths from different cultures are retold, enhanced by abundant full-color illustrations and photographs of related sites or artifacts. At the side of each page are further explanations of characters or situations in the stories. The appendix includes a section called "Who's Who in Mythology," with the pronunciation for each name and charts of both the Greek and Norse Pantheons. Philip's retellings are clear and powerful, retaining the flavor and message of each story. This fascinating book of myths belongs on every young scholar's bookshelf. (Ages 9 to 13)
Myths are the dreams of mankind, at once utterly strange and hauntingly familiar. They tell of beginnings and ends, creation and destruction, life and death...
This beautifully illustrated book gathers together many of the most popular myths from all over the world, including a selection of the great classical tales of Greece and Rome and myths from Norse, Celtic, Egyptian, Native American, Aborginal, African, and Asian traditions. They are retold for readers of all ages in a vivid, accessible style by Neil Philip, an authority on mythology and folklore. The illustrations by Nilesh Mistry link the main episodes of each myth, involving readers in the action and atmosphere.
This exciting new approach also provides intriguing glimpses into the cultures from which these myths have sprung. Background information, accompanied by color photographs, explores the tales' historical, cultural, and geographical context. The stories are grouped together thematically -- allowing readers to appreciate not only the difference, but also the uncanny similarities between many of the world's cultures.
The Illustrated Book of Myths brings together and illuminates timeless, universal stories, many of which form part of our literary heritage. Its special qualities make this collection both an important reference book for the whole family and a lasting source of inspiration and delight.
Native American Stories (Myths and Legends)
by Joseph Bruchac
from Fulcrum Publishing
Tales from Africa
by Kathleen Arnott
from Oxford University Press, USA
Drawn from all parts of Africa, these stories convey the fierce sense of justice inherent in African peoples, their powers of patience and endurance, and their supreme ability as storytellers. A greedy spider, an evil shark, flying horses, a cruel baboon, a scheming tortoise, and a cunning
hare are among the many animal characters in this riveting collection. Yet even though animals feature prominently in most of the stories, humans are not neglected either. Meet blacksmiths, kings, chiefs, peasants, and even an African Superman. There are also answers to such important questions as
why the crab has no head, why the sun and moon live in the sky, and why flies buzz. The tales are collected from all across the continent--from Nigeria to Congo to South Africa--and translated from over a dozen languages like Swahili, Bantu, Fulani, Zulu, and Yoruba.
