A master storyteller and an award-winning illustrator evoke the golden age of mythical Greece in this spirited retelling of The Odyssey.
Myths and Legends
Atalanta’s Race: A Greek Myth
In ancient Greece, the gods control every life, from peasant to King. When newborn Princess Atalanta is left to die on a mountainside because her father wanted a son, the gods send a bear to care for her. Adopted by a woodsman, she grows into a great hunter and athlete, and is eventually reunited with her father, the King. But as she gets older, Atalanta has no use for the gods and gives them no credit. When she must run the most important race of her life, on which her future happiness rides, the gods intercede once more–and Atalanta learns they will not be ignored forever.
King Midas: The Golden Touch
King Midas is a proud and foolish king who loves gold above all else. In return for helping him one day, a satyr grants the king his dearest wish — all that he touches will turn to gold. For a time, the king enjoys his gift. But then the food he puts to his mouth turns to gold so he cannot eat. And the horse he mounts turns to gold so he cannot ride. And everyone he touches turns to gold so he no longer has any family or friends. He has all the gold he could ever want, but he’s not at all happy.
Merlin and the Making of the King
A retelling of four Arthurian legends, “The Sword in the Stone,” “Excalibur,” “The Lady of the Lake,” and “The Last Great Battle,” which feature Merlin, King Arthur, and other familiar figures.
Earth, Fire, Water, Air
Dramatizes the original elements known to the ancient world–earth, fire, water, and air–recounting tales of how these life-giving elements gave rise to legends, gods, heroes, and mythical beasts.
The Mighty 12: Superheroes of Greek Myth
Meet the most impressive of the gods and goddesses of Olympus-and even a few monsters-and see them revealed for what they really were: ancient superheroes with the power to shift shape, move mountains, and change fate.
Changing Woman and Her Sisters: Stories of Goddesses from around the World
This celebration of feminine power, beauty, and complexity tells the stories of ten goddesses from cultures the world over.
Little Sister
Aided by magical creatures from Japanese myths, Mitsuko, a young girl in the imperial court of twelfth-century Japan, bravely ventures to the netherworld to search for her sister’s wandering spirit.
Legend Of Orpheus And Eurydice
Orpheus, a brave musician who is dearly loved by the gods and admired by all of humankind, attempts to use the power of song to rescue his beautiful wife, Eurydice, from the Underworld after she dies from a serpent bite on their wedding day. When Orpheus finally reaches the center of the Underworld, Hades relents to his beautiful music and agrees to set Eurydice free. However, he tells Orpheus that he must not look back at his wife as he leads her to the surface. Just before the couple reaches the upper world, Orpheus cannot help but look back at Eurydice, and he therefore loses her forever.
Damon, Pythias, and the Test of Friendship
Outside of ancient Syracuse on the island of Sicily, there lived a cruel ruler named Dionysius. He trusted no one. Nearby lived two best friends, Damon and Pythias. One day Pythias spoke out against Dionysius, who quickly ordered his execution, to take place in one month. Pythias wanted to return to his elderly parents to say goodbye and arrange for their care. Dionysius laughed, not trusting that Pythias would return. Damon stood up and offered to take Pythias’ place until he returned. The ruler agreed only after stipulating that if Pythias did not come back, Damon would die instead. When the execution day arrived, Pythias had not returned, but Damon still believed that his friend would be there if he could. Just in time, Pythias ran in, offering up his own life for his friend’s.