School Library Journal Review
Gr 2-4-Each of these British imports begins with an almost-identical preface describing "The World of Ancient Mythology" and then moves on to an introduction that sets the scene. The narratives remain true to the original tales with little adaptation. The writing style in all three is clear but pedestrian. Boxes that provide additional background on people and places appear on every page. Unfortunately, in all three books, caricatures reminiscent of Saturday-morning cartoons illustrate even the most tragic or horrific of events, such as Hercules feeding Diomedes to his hungry horses (Hercules) or Medea tossing parts of a dismembered Pelias into a boiling cauldron (Jason). Cartoon buffoonery deflates the power of these stories, and dialogue bubbles-such as Hercules muttering "Come on, you fat pig!" as he drags the Erymanthian Boar-are equally jarring. Children would be better served by Malam's Gods and Goddesses (School Specialty, 1999).-Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.