June 12th, 2015

I've started reading my new book on Celtic mythology (and actually, I also picked up a new text on Native American legends at Goodwill today, as if I didn't already have an enormous waiting list), but I thought in the meantime I might talk about a book which is more personal.

Title: Greek Myths
Author and Illustrator: Marcia Williams

This large paperback was a gift from my Aunt C when I was very young. It tells eight of the Greek legends: Pandora's Box, Arion and the Dolphins, Orpheus and Eurydice, The Twelve Tasks of Heracles, Daedalus and Icarus, Perseus and the Gorgon's Head, Theseus and the Minotaur, and Arachne vs. Athena.

Each story is neatly summarized in easy-to-read text with full-color comic illustrations. Williams does not shy away from the graphic nature of a lot of these myths, and presents them in a way which avoids being unnecessarily gory but does not water them down for young readers. Also, the comics are very sarcastic, which adds another level of delight to the pages. Even labeled "Age 5 and up", I found myself chuckling at a lot of the drawings as I was rereading it.

I've had this book literally for years. I'm not entirely sure when I was given it, but I probably wasn't older than three or so. The corners are dog eared, and for some time it was up in my brothers' room for my siblings to read, but a while back I went searching for it to return to my collection.

Aside from being a great book (if any of you have kids or siblings you'd like to expose early to mythology, this is a good starting point), it holds a very sentimental place in my heart, knowing that even back then, my Aunt was there to support and encourage my interests. One of my early memories is of sitting on our rough apartment carpet with the bright pages spread out before me, the book almost bigger than I was at the time.

I will be writing more reviews here soon, though I'm not quite certain when. We have a very busy weekend coming up, and then I'll be camping for a week without internet access. In the meantime, here's a little last food for thought.

THIS CANDLEWICK BOOK BELONGS TO:
{Name}
Because you're never too young
to start learning your myths
Love, Aunt C