Usborne's Greek Myths is one in a series of miniature editions. It is a useful introduction into Greek mythology for young children, both at home and in schools.

Usborne Greek Myths (Usborne 2000, ISBN 0 7460 4306 6) is a weighty little hardback book in Usborne’s extremely popular “Miniature Editions” series. The series includes information books, story books and activity books for children.

Containing 128 pages, Greek Myths is a substantial collection of sixteen myths retold by Heather Amery with young children in mind. However, despite its contents, it is still only small and perfectly handbag-sized, making it ideal for taking out and about or for storing where space is at a premium.

Suitable for a Range of Children

The myths have been written to make them accessible in language for children who cannot yet read for themselves, or who are not yet confident readers. The oral tradition of retelling Greek myths can be preserved through adult reading and children listening in order to be able to retell the story, making this an ideal book to include in the curriculum for 5-7 year old pupils.

The stories are also suitable for those children who have developed their own confidence in independent reading. In general, each myth is only a few small pages in length, with the exception of those tales of Greek heroes such as Odysseus, Heracles, Jason and Perseus, where the stories are longer and each area of the story is defined by subheadings to make the plot easier to follow for small children.

The heroes and villains are clearly identifiable and allow children a good understanding of the role of the hero in a myth, and linking to the “myths and legends” element of the primary curriculum in England.

Contents

The Greek myths included in this collection are as follows:

The Gift of Fire

Pandora’s Box

Persephone and the Seasons

The Story of Arachne

The Many Tasks of Heracles

Echo and Narcissus

Daedalus and Icarus

Bellerophon and the Flying Horse

Jason and the Golden Fleece

King Midas

The Adventures of Perseus

The Chariot of the Sun

The Adventures of Odysseus

Theseus and the Minotaur

Pygmalion and his Wife

Eros and Psyche

A mixture of stories have been used, not only in length, but in popularity. The most noted myths are here (Odysseus, Daedalus and Icarus, Midas, etc) but also included are myths which may be less known to the average adult, making the stories as intriguing for adults as for children.

Informative Introduction

The book includes a very short introduction for children, explaining what Greek myths are and how the Ancient Greeks felt about their Gods, although a slightly longer introduction making a comparison between the life of the Gods and their manipulation of the human race might have added to an older child’s understanding of the myths in general.

The book also benefits from a pronunciation guide to Greek names at the back of the book, which would be as useful for adults and children alike. Again, it may have been both useful and interesting to have included a list of the Gods included in this collection of stories, together with their relative associations in the human world. This may make it of even more use in the classroom.

An Appealing Book

This book is extremely attractive visually, as it has been highly illustrated by Linda Edwards, using vivid colours and suitable cartoon-style illustrations for each story. Greek-style or theme-related patterns have been turned into borders around the edges of the pages. A different array of colours is used for each story, making each story easy to distinguish within the book.

Usborne’s Miniature Editions series provide great value for money, and this little book is no exception. Adults and children are able to enjoy these myths and, as the book fits on the palm of an adult hand, is of a size to be taken on any kind of trip, or added on a shelf of other Miniature Editions. It is highly recommended as a way of introducing children to some of the stories which have stood the test of time through the oral tradition they have carried with them through the centuries.