Greek Myths: Stories of Sun, Stone and Sea by Sally Pomme Clayton
| Greek Myths: Stories of Sun, Stone and Sea by Sally Pomme Clayton | |
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| Category: For Sharing | |
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Reviewer: Lorraine McDonald
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| Summary: A collection of ten Greek myths re-told for children. Enter a realm of monsters, Gods and strange lands that will feed the imagination. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 80 | Date: June 2014 |
| Publisher: Frances Lincoln Children's Books | |
| ISBN: 9781847805089 | |
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University Challenge questions frequently have me stumped, but it’s ones on Greek mythology that highlight a gap in my knowledge and make me yearn for the classical education that I never had. Who or what is Erato? Should I be concerned if I meet Kerberos? And why did a delivery company decide to call itself Hermes? Consequently, I had high hopes for Greek Myths: Stories of Sun, Stone and Sea, a collection of ten myths retold for children.
Not being familiar with the gamut of Greek Classics, I can’t really comment on how well the ten tales reflect the genre but I can say that there is a bit of everything here from comedy to tragedy, with some mild horror thrown in. Monsters, Gods and strange lands feature. The first story is the story of creation and tells how Mother Earth comes in to conflict with Father Sky as her children grow up and need more room. Further tales introduce Pandora and Midas. These entertaining stories will throw light on references in popular culture to the ‘Midas touch’ and ‘opening a Pandora’s box’, though in this case she has a pot which may have a bit less of a ring to it but is apparently more accurate. A favourite for me was the tragic story of Orpheus and his journey to the underworld to find his dead wife. I was also intrigued by the story of Arachne. Read this and you may just refrain from clobbering the next spider you see with a newspaper.
All the key elements of a good story are here. There is drama and suspense, humour and peril. They are not just good stories though – they are good stories well told. Sally Pomme Clayton makes an excellent job of retelling these classics. The text is clear. Each story is concise yet detailed enough to maintain the drama. The dialogue is not strange or stiled. This may be a children’s book but Clayton never talks down to her audience or whitewashes out some of the less savoury elements of the myths. Also included are some ‘grown up’ touches such as a map of ancient Greece and some information on modern day borders in the foreword. A note on archaeology or culture follows at the end of each story whilst a bibliography and index of Gods and characters conclude the book.
The artwork consists of a variety of detailed full and half page spreads. In terms of style, these combine a sense of realism with a flavour of drawings you may have seen adorning ancient Greek pots and tourist tat. Their quality matches the gravitas of the tales they illustrate. The story of Medusa, which involves attempted murder and an eye roaming free from a socket, is grisly enough in its telling. The accompanying illustration of Medusa, with her fixed stare and head of writhing snakes is enough to haunt your dreams, so best not to make this one the bedtime story.
Children will want to hear these tales as they are enduring and entertaining. The educational value is secondary. None the less, I am still happy to know that Erato is the Muse of poetry, Kerberos, is a beast with three heads and Hermes is the messenger God. Should I ever find myself on University Challenge, I’m all set and my son will be too.
For more legendary tales try The Thousand Nights and One Night by David Walser and Jan Pienkowski
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You can read more book reviews or buy Greek Myths: Stories of Sun, Stone and Sea by Sally Pomme Clayton at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy Greek Myths: Stories of Sun, Stone and Sea by Sally Pomme Clayton at Amazon.com.
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