Illustrated Book of Myths

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)