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Lost Tales
In the land of the Mi'kmaq, there lived an invisible warrior who longed to be seen. In the Punjab, there lived a poor hermit who renounced riches. In Brazil, there lived a lonely princess who yearned for a playmate. Uncover these tales of wonder from around the world. From Adam Murphy, creator of CORPSE TALK, comes a collection of the most magical myths and legends you've never heard before...
80 pages, Paperback
First published August 4, 2016
2 people are currently reading
38 people want to read
About the author
Adam Murphy
24 books7 followersAdam Murphy is an award-winning comics artist, writer and illustrator.
He brings history and folklore to life for readers of all ages through humour, extensive research and an ongoing curiosity about what makes people tick.
He is the co-creator (with wife and creative partner Lisa Murphy) of the comics series CorpseTalk, which originally appeared in The Phoenix, a weekly kids' comics magazine in the UK. CorpseTalk has since been collected and published as an ongoing series of books which have twice been nominated for the Blue Peter Book Awards (the first comic book ever to do so).
His other co-created comics series Lost Tales (also with Lisa) has also been nominated for a Blue Peter Book Award, and was the winner of the British Comics Awards Young People's category in 2016.
He holds a graduate degree in Computer Graphics from DePaul University, and a bachelors in Human Sciences from Oxford.
He lives and works in Glasgow, UK with his wife Lisa and their son.
He brings history and folklore to life for readers of all ages through humour, extensive research and an ongoing curiosity about what makes people tick.
He is the co-creator (with wife and creative partner Lisa Murphy) of the comics series CorpseTalk, which originally appeared in The Phoenix, a weekly kids' comics magazine in the UK. CorpseTalk has since been collected and published as an ongoing series of books which have twice been nominated for the Blue Peter Book Awards (the first comic book ever to do so).
His other co-created comics series Lost Tales (also with Lisa) has also been nominated for a Blue Peter Book Award, and was the winner of the British Comics Awards Young People's category in 2016.
He holds a graduate degree in Computer Graphics from DePaul University, and a bachelors in Human Sciences from Oxford.
He lives and works in Glasgow, UK with his wife Lisa and their son.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 20, 2017
This is a cute collection of folk tales/fairy tales/myths from around the world. They're told in a comic book format and it's aimed at children. I'd guess it's aimed at 9-12 year olds, but honestly I'm not that great at determining what age group things are aimed at!
It was a lovely little book and I only knew one of the tales already (titled: Riben, Robin and Donald McDonald in this re-telling). The voices of the characters were really accessible and fun. I think the best part of this collection was that the tales were from several different cultures, including North America, Japan, Scotland, and Punjab. It was refreshing to have such a variety in such a small little book.
It was a lovely little book and I only knew one of the tales already (titled: Riben, Robin and Donald McDonald in this re-telling). The voices of the characters were really accessible and fun. I think the best part of this collection was that the tales were from several different cultures, including North America, Japan, Scotland, and Punjab. It was refreshing to have such a variety in such a small little book.
September 14, 2016
This was a pretty quick read, and also very enjoyable. The whole concept is that the author/artist has unearthed rare folk tales from across the planet, which is right up my alley. The variety of tales is great, ranging from Native American to a more recent Scottish tale.
My favourite was The Gifts of Wali Dad, from Punjab. The tone was light and events escalated nicely. The only story I was a bit unsure of was Why the Sea Moans, mostly because the dialogue was very modern, possibly influenced by where the story was originally published (in UK weekly comic magazine The Phoenix, which is now high on my must-grab list).
A great collection, spot on artwork. Particularly worth it if you are a fan of less-familiar folk tales.
My favourite was The Gifts of Wali Dad, from Punjab. The tone was light and events escalated nicely. The only story I was a bit unsure of was Why the Sea Moans, mostly because the dialogue was very modern, possibly influenced by where the story was originally published (in UK weekly comic magazine The Phoenix, which is now high on my must-grab list).
A great collection, spot on artwork. Particularly worth it if you are a fan of less-familiar folk tales.
December 17, 2017
Synopsis: A collection of folk stories from around the world that have pretty good morals behind them.
Key Words: Folk tales, comics, fairytales.
School Year Group: Year 5
Review: The art style of this book is lovely and true stories are really lovely too. The only reason I can’t give this a 5 star is because of the font - it is quite hard to read and would definitely not be suitable for children with dyslexia.
Key Words: Folk tales, comics, fairytales.
School Year Group: Year 5
Review: The art style of this book is lovely and true stories are really lovely too. The only reason I can’t give this a 5 star is because of the font - it is quite hard to read and would definitely not be suitable for children with dyslexia.
February 25, 2018
I really loved the stories, But some of them were not as interesting as others. But still it was really good.
November 1, 2022
Engaging and humorous retelling, however some stories were cruel or sad - perhaps selection could have been slightly different?
April 26, 2024
Such a cute read!
July 10, 2024
It was a good collection of interesting tales from around the world.
September 30, 2024
Eight tales represented as humorous comic strips; the visuals are eye-catching and the narrative flowing and quick to analyse.
Highly recommendable to use for scholastic activities.
Highly recommendable to use for scholastic activities.
January 28, 2017
A short collection of worldly fairy tales done in colourful, charming cartoon comics with a dash of irony and self-conscious humour. Adam Murphy is a consumate reteller of tales and an accomplished humourist. Each of these unknown fairy tales is told over about ten pages in a patchwork of small frames. Each has its own flavour, although Murphy's drawing style (and sarcy narratorial voice over in the background) gives Lost Tales a satisfying coherence. Standouts are the African folktale about the honest merchant and the very sad and beautifully drawn story of the jilted sea monster and the princess who breaks her promise, a story from Brazil painted in gorgeous blue and pink ocean shades. Each story ends with a big page spread "Happily Ever After" before the next begins with a neat map showing where we are journeying to next. A lovely piece of scavenging work, a piece of entertaining, patchwork storytelling. 7
August 15, 2016
Lost Tales is the latest collection from the pages of the great kids’ comic The Phoenix, and the third collection of work by the brilliant Adam Murphy. His previous two books have concerned his strip Corpse Talk where the reader gets to learn about some extraordinary people throughout history via the medium of an interview with their reanimated cadaver – an oddly pleasing way to learn, I’ve found. However, Lost Tales is something very different.
Taking folk tales from the around the globe Murphy has reinterpreted them through comics, utilising the brief few pages per story to their full effect, with striking visuals and seasoned with good humour. The tales range from the Punjab, Romania and Japan to name but a few, and including one from Scotland I’d not heard before either. Regardless of the country of origin, they all strike a chord.
A good folk tale is often the combination of absurd circumstance and beating an injustice (although not always so) and so like as not the very reason you’re hearing the tale is because it’s already stood the test of time by warranting a constant retelling. The homogeny of much of our modern storytelling can mean a wider audience for a contemporary tale, but it also offers the opportunity for a two-way exchange as we experience stories from far and wide – but only if the likes of Lost Tales make the effort. So rest assured that all the tales gathered here are worthy of your attention.
In a nutshell, I think this is my favourite Phoenix book to date, with every tale a mini-masterpiece of the art-form, beautifully presented and lovingly told. I’m hoping we’ll see many more of them.
Taking folk tales from the around the globe Murphy has reinterpreted them through comics, utilising the brief few pages per story to their full effect, with striking visuals and seasoned with good humour. The tales range from the Punjab, Romania and Japan to name but a few, and including one from Scotland I’d not heard before either. Regardless of the country of origin, they all strike a chord.
A good folk tale is often the combination of absurd circumstance and beating an injustice (although not always so) and so like as not the very reason you’re hearing the tale is because it’s already stood the test of time by warranting a constant retelling. The homogeny of much of our modern storytelling can mean a wider audience for a contemporary tale, but it also offers the opportunity for a two-way exchange as we experience stories from far and wide – but only if the likes of Lost Tales make the effort. So rest assured that all the tales gathered here are worthy of your attention.
In a nutshell, I think this is my favourite Phoenix book to date, with every tale a mini-masterpiece of the art-form, beautifully presented and lovingly told. I’m hoping we’ll see many more of them.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews