Product Description

"The Iliad" tells the story of the war between Greeks and Trojans; the love between Helena and Paris; Achilles and Hector's deadly combat; and the Trojan Horse. "The Odyssey" depicts the perilous voyage home of the Greek warrior Odysseus; his struggles against the one-eyed Cyclops; the terrible Sirens; the dreadful, six-headed Scylla. These classic Greek stories have been retold with lively text and a dramatic cartoon style, making them accessible and fun for young children.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #29000 in Books
• Published on: 2006-10-02
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 40 pages

Review
"* "Elegant, intelligent, funny, dramatic and totally absorbing; the perfect start to an early familiarity with Homer." The Guardian * "Brings clarity and humour to these ancient myths... Surely the most entertaining way to explore ancient history." Junior Education * "Likely to amuse and even absorb children for a good while... Has a kind of Where's Wally?-ish delight in visual minutiae." The Times Educational Supplement"

About the Author
Marcia Williams worked as a nursery teacher before beginning a successful career as an author and illustrator. With her distinctive cartoon-strip style, she has now illustrated and retold many literary classics for children, including Greek Myths and Mr William Shakespeare's Plays. Marcia lives in Barnes, London.

Customer Reviews

Excellent book for Primary Children
I have a degree in Classics & Modern Languages, & bought this book for my 5 year old daughter and 3 year old son because I loved Homer's stories.
I was worried that they might find it a bit too advanced (the comic strip style will appeal very much to KS2 kids). However, they were both entranced by the stories, the illustations are beautiful and detailed. They are now 'experts' on tales such as the Trojan Horse, Scylla and the Cyclops. They both (even the 3 year old) also now know why we say certain things nowadays, like 'Achilles heel'.
We've now moved onto the Romans - sadly there doesn't seem to be an equivalent version of Virgil's Aeneid, definitely a gap in the market.

Not just one for the children....
I first read this book as a joke as I had to do the real Odyssey for GCSE. However, I found it was one fo the most useful resources I used when studying the Odyssey. It remained true to the story and made it interesting by using pictures with humorous caption. I only had to do certain books of the Odyssey and I managed to keep the continuity by reading this book. It also increased my understanding and enjoyment of the text, because once I read this book I realized how good this story really was.

On the other hand, it is good for children as it makes classic tales more accesible to them and encourages them to read books which otherwise they might not read.

A Treat
One of Marcia Wiliams' best titles. This is a retelling of 30 or so episodes from Homer, done with the author's accustomed energy and verve. Young children will love the bold illustrations, especially Achilles in drag, Scylla, the Sirens, Polyphemus and a Trojan Horse packed with humorous detail that must have taken the author weeks to complete on its own.

No child could fail to be stimulated by these tales, and would not want to pursue them at at deeper level when older.