What do you think?
Rate this book
The Gilgamesh Trilogy #1
Gilgamesh
Inscrite sur des tablettes d'argile il y a plus de 5 000 ans, la légende de Gilgamesh imprègne nos mythes et contes de fées. Racontée et magnifiquement illustrée pare l'artiste Ludmila Zeman, cette ancienne histoire séduit toujours, autant par son caractère aventureux et romantique que par les valeurs humaines profondes qu'elle véhicule.
72 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
9 people are currently reading
873 people want to read
About the author
Ludmila Zeman
12 books10 followersLudmila Zeman - Filmmaker, illustrator, animator, and writer. Born 1947, in Gottwaldov, Czechoslovakia (now Zlín, Czech Republic); immigrated to Canada, 1984; became Canadian citizen, 1988.
Ludmila Zeman built puppets and painted backgrounds for Karel Zeman's films, including Mr. Prokouk the Acrobat; sold first animated short film to Czech TV at age nineteen; created films for Sesame Street and the National Film Board of Canada. Emily Carr College of Art, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, instructor.
Certificate of Merit, Art Directors Club, and Pick of the List selection, American Booksellers Association, both 1992, and Black-Eyed Susan Picture Book selection, State of Maryland, 1995-96, all for Gilgamesh the King; Gilgamesh the King and The Revenge of Ishtar were both selected for the Illustrators Exhibition at the Bologna Children's Book Fair, 1994; Governor General's Award for Illustration, Canada Council, 1995, for The Last Quest of Gilgamesh.
Ludmila Zeman built puppets and painted backgrounds for Karel Zeman's films, including Mr. Prokouk the Acrobat; sold first animated short film to Czech TV at age nineteen; created films for Sesame Street and the National Film Board of Canada. Emily Carr College of Art, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, instructor.
Certificate of Merit, Art Directors Club, and Pick of the List selection, American Booksellers Association, both 1992, and Black-Eyed Susan Picture Book selection, State of Maryland, 1995-96, all for Gilgamesh the King; Gilgamesh the King and The Revenge of Ishtar were both selected for the Illustrators Exhibition at the Bologna Children's Book Fair, 1994; Governor General's Award for Illustration, Canada Council, 1995, for The Last Quest of Gilgamesh.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews
February 16, 2025
Fantastic retelling of this foundational myth that focuses on Gilgamesh (the selfish) king who had yet to learn humility. This is a timeless work that is always being looked at anew; I try to watch out for any new translations. The illustrations in this book really helped me visualize this very complex storyline - exciting interpretation!
March 12, 2009
Half-god Gilgamesh only comprehends power. He does not care for the people he rules, or even understand what it means to be human. When he forces the populace to labor and starve building a monument to his glory, they pray for help and the Sun God responds by creating Enkidu, a half-animal man who lives in the forest and does not understand cruelty. He is as strong as Gilgamesh, but can mere force prevail against the ruthless tyrant?
Obviously, the element of suspense is absent for those familiar with the mythology, but this is still a good presentation of a timeless tale. Zeman tastefully elides the racy details without castrating the story; unusually, it actually makes more sense this way.
Obviously, the element of suspense is absent for those familiar with the mythology, but this is still a good presentation of a timeless tale. Zeman tastefully elides the racy details without castrating the story; unusually, it actually makes more sense this way.
July 29, 2015
A thoroughly G-rated version of the Gilgamesh, perfect for introducing the myth to elementary school students.
However, the author split the legend into three different books (first time I’ve ever seen a picture book trilogy) so the story ends abruptly here when Gily and Enky become BFF’s.
The artwork is gorgeous, with a beautiful palette that mimics the muted earth tones of the geographic area and the characters have a curliness to their details of clothing decorations and hair styles that mimics the ancient cuneiform script, showing how much the newly civilized world comes from that oh-so important human development of writing. Also fittingly for the story, the artwork also is a Gauguin style of lushness to the jungle illustrations, showing the vitality and energy of the natural world Enkidu is coming from.
Excellent introduction to the legend.
July 25, 2019
This is beautifully illustrated tale of the Sumerian hero Gilgamesh. It's rare to find Sumerian mythology in children's books, so it's nice to see this on the shelves.
October 16, 2019
Wonderful illustrations and a simple text illuminate the Epic of Gilgamesh for children. This is the least 'scary' of the three titles in this series.
An especially valuable title for boys that includes themes of establishing respect in male relationships, there are some concepts children will need help clarifying.
For example:
What does it mean to be sent by God?
Did Gilgamesh's behavior (you will know them by their fruits. see Matt 7:15-19) indicate he was from God? Why or why not?
Was it right to pray to the Sun God for help? or Who should we pray to for help?
Gilgamesh (and other men) or God?
Who is holy, set apart and pure?
Who is bitter and cruel?
Who needs to learn how to live righteously?
Who is strong and powerful?
Who has been remembered from the past?
Who will be remembered in the future?
Who is the best friend?
Contrast God's attributes and Gilgamesh's. (for younger children, ask yes/no questions to contrast. Example: Does God need friends? Is God bitter and cruel like Gilgamesh? Does God need to learn lessons like Gilgamesh?)
What aspects of the story agree with the Bible? (Enkidu is made from the clay of the earth just like Adam in Genesis 2, etc).
Other excellent resources include the end note maps and the author's commentary on the last page. My students were fascinated with all three books and eager to look at and read them. Excellent addition to our home library.
There's more!
The Revenge of Ishtar (Gilgamesh Trilogy #2), Zeman, 1993
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
An especially valuable title for boys that includes themes of establishing respect in male relationships, there are some concepts children will need help clarifying.
For example:
What does it mean to be sent by God?
Did Gilgamesh's behavior (you will know them by their fruits. see Matt 7:15-19) indicate he was from God? Why or why not?
Was it right to pray to the Sun God for help? or Who should we pray to for help?
Gilgamesh (and other men) or God?
Who is holy, set apart and pure?
Who is bitter and cruel?
Who needs to learn how to live righteously?
Who is strong and powerful?
Who has been remembered from the past?
Who will be remembered in the future?
Who is the best friend?
Contrast God's attributes and Gilgamesh's. (for younger children, ask yes/no questions to contrast. Example: Does God need friends? Is God bitter and cruel like Gilgamesh? Does God need to learn lessons like Gilgamesh?)
What aspects of the story agree with the Bible? (Enkidu is made from the clay of the earth just like Adam in Genesis 2, etc).
Other excellent resources include the end note maps and the author's commentary on the last page. My students were fascinated with all three books and eager to look at and read them. Excellent addition to our home library.
There's more!
The Revenge of Ishtar (Gilgamesh Trilogy #2), Zeman, 1993
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
March 8, 2020
Zeman, Ludzila. Gilgamesh the King (1992). Illustrated by the author.
This epic poem of a the god-king Gilgamesh is retold by the author in three separate stories, with this edition being the first. It is based on an ancient Mesopotamian story in which a lonely and arrogant Gilgamesh must learn how the kindness afforded to him by an equal, Enkidu, is more important than demonstrating his great power over his people in the city of Uruk. Though the story is compelling, it is the illustrations carefully rendered by the author/illustrator that bring this ancient tale to life for modern readers. Her study of ancient artistic renderings of the tale creates a rich panorama similar to other cultures such as the Bayeux Tapestry from France that depicts the Norman conquest of England. The use of simple, small areas of text on the pages allow readers to move along the story first by the art then by the words and from it, gain the understanding that power can be demonstrated in even the kindest of ways. Target audience: children of all ages. May be used in secondary (grades 6-12) classes as a resource book as well.
This epic poem of a the god-king Gilgamesh is retold by the author in three separate stories, with this edition being the first. It is based on an ancient Mesopotamian story in which a lonely and arrogant Gilgamesh must learn how the kindness afforded to him by an equal, Enkidu, is more important than demonstrating his great power over his people in the city of Uruk. Though the story is compelling, it is the illustrations carefully rendered by the author/illustrator that bring this ancient tale to life for modern readers. Her study of ancient artistic renderings of the tale creates a rich panorama similar to other cultures such as the Bayeux Tapestry from France that depicts the Norman conquest of England. The use of simple, small areas of text on the pages allow readers to move along the story first by the art then by the words and from it, gain the understanding that power can be demonstrated in even the kindest of ways. Target audience: children of all ages. May be used in secondary (grades 6-12) classes as a resource book as well.
May 31, 2025
In the Gilgamesh series, this picture book chronicles the birth of Enkidu and the ensuing friendship that shaped the city of Uruk.
September 1, 2010
This is an amazing retelling of the Epic of Gilgamesh for children. The illustrations are beautiful. This was my first exposure to this 4,000 year old story. This book and the two sequels are not to be missed if you are studying ancient history with your children. There are some scary images in the books, however my girls, aged 6 and 4, took them in stride. Third to fourth grade reading level, but recommended for ages 5 and up.
February 23, 2009
I don't recall ever reading this story about Gilgamesh, but then it's been years since I've read the entire epic. I liked the way Zeman told the story and especially the way she drew the illustrations in the style of ancient Mesopotamian art. Recommended!
September 10, 2020
The illustrations in this trilogy retelling of The Epic of Gilgamesh are beautiful.
March 10, 2024
Old stories are fun.
June 12, 2025
mmm yess gay
July 4, 2017
A beautiful version of the classic legend for kids.
November 1, 2013
I thought this was a really neat book. The writing was beautiful in its simplicity, and the author did a fine job telling the first part of the Epic of Gilgamesh in a way that would be understandable and appropriate for children. Having read the full version of this story myself in my humanities class in college, I can tell you that condensing it down into a children's storybook (if even just the first part) is no easy feat. However, Ludmila Zeman did a fantastic job.
Zeman's illustrations were also very impressive (they reminded me somewhat of Maurice Sendak's work). The drawings were very detailed and beautiful, and I especially loved the intricate patterns on the pillars in the temple, the tower on Gilgamesh's wall, Gilgamesh's throne, and around the borders of the illustrations themselves. Other drawings, as well, had a lot of very nice touches, including the giant lamassus, Gilgamesh's platform boat, and what looks like Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar's Ishtar Gate. These touches gave this story a wonderful sense of beauty and authenticity. Of course, my favorite illustration (and I know children who read this book will agree) was probably the one of Enkidu stealing the hunter's chariot and using it to rescue the animals the hunter was going after. The lion waving to the abandoned hunter from the back of the chariot while the hunter races to catch his stolen ride is priceless!
I highly recommend this book to parents or teachers seeking a great way to introduce one of mankind's oldest stories to children. I also think it could foster an interest in ancient history, art, and literature. I personally will be recommending this book to my sixth graders who are currently learning about ancient civilizations in social studies, and I myself look forward to reading the next two parts of Zeman's Gilgamesh storybook trilogy in the near future. Perhaps one day she could do storybooks based on The Odyssey or Beowulf as well. I'll definitely keep a hopeful eye out for them.
Zeman's illustrations were also very impressive (they reminded me somewhat of Maurice Sendak's work). The drawings were very detailed and beautiful, and I especially loved the intricate patterns on the pillars in the temple, the tower on Gilgamesh's wall, Gilgamesh's throne, and around the borders of the illustrations themselves. Other drawings, as well, had a lot of very nice touches, including the giant lamassus, Gilgamesh's platform boat, and what looks like Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar's Ishtar Gate. These touches gave this story a wonderful sense of beauty and authenticity. Of course, my favorite illustration (and I know children who read this book will agree) was probably the one of Enkidu stealing the hunter's chariot and using it to rescue the animals the hunter was going after. The lion waving to the abandoned hunter from the back of the chariot while the hunter races to catch his stolen ride is priceless!
I highly recommend this book to parents or teachers seeking a great way to introduce one of mankind's oldest stories to children. I also think it could foster an interest in ancient history, art, and literature. I personally will be recommending this book to my sixth graders who are currently learning about ancient civilizations in social studies, and I myself look forward to reading the next two parts of Zeman's Gilgamesh storybook trilogy in the near future. Perhaps one day she could do storybooks based on The Odyssey or Beowulf as well. I'll definitely keep a hopeful eye out for them.
July 14, 2015
Gilgamesh The King retold and illustrated by Ludmila Zeman 1992
Categories/Genres for this class fulfilled by this book: Traditional Literature
Estimate of age level of interest: Grades 2-7
Estimate of reading level: Grade 4
Brief description: A retelling of the first recorded ancient Mesopotamian story, the epic of Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh, part-man and part-god, battles Enkidu, the wild lover of animals from the forest. Saved by Enkidu, Gilgamesh learns about the power of human connection.
Identify at least 2 characteristics of this genre and subgenre and discuss how they appear in your book:
The first characteristic of this book is the use of easy-to-follow plot. Zeman retells the complicated epic of Gilgamesh in straightforward, simple language. The plot follows the basic structure of exposition, rising action, climax, and resolution. Readers will think about important themes of friendship, forgiveness, and compassion, an important characteristic of traditional literature. Another characteristic is the use of illustrations to develop the themes. Zeman’s cartoon-like illustrations are definitely the focus of the book, and accompany the text well, especially for a younger audience. The ancient world is depicted more so through the illustrations than the text.
In what ways and how well does the book as a whole serve its intended audience?: While readers are often less-than-enthusiastic about ancient literature, Gilgamesh the King is a good introduction to one of the world’s oldest stories. It may be used as an opportunity to rewrite the epic with more vivid language with older children. Excellent as a read aloud for younger children or for older children studying the ancient world.
Awards if any:
Links to published reviews from professional sources e.g. ALA, Booklist, Kirkus, SLJ, etc. if any: List of multiple reviews at this link: http://www.titlewave.com/search?SID=7...
Categories/Genres for this class fulfilled by this book: Traditional Literature
Estimate of age level of interest: Grades 2-7
Estimate of reading level: Grade 4
Brief description: A retelling of the first recorded ancient Mesopotamian story, the epic of Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh, part-man and part-god, battles Enkidu, the wild lover of animals from the forest. Saved by Enkidu, Gilgamesh learns about the power of human connection.
Identify at least 2 characteristics of this genre and subgenre and discuss how they appear in your book:
The first characteristic of this book is the use of easy-to-follow plot. Zeman retells the complicated epic of Gilgamesh in straightforward, simple language. The plot follows the basic structure of exposition, rising action, climax, and resolution. Readers will think about important themes of friendship, forgiveness, and compassion, an important characteristic of traditional literature. Another characteristic is the use of illustrations to develop the themes. Zeman’s cartoon-like illustrations are definitely the focus of the book, and accompany the text well, especially for a younger audience. The ancient world is depicted more so through the illustrations than the text.
In what ways and how well does the book as a whole serve its intended audience?: While readers are often less-than-enthusiastic about ancient literature, Gilgamesh the King is a good introduction to one of the world’s oldest stories. It may be used as an opportunity to rewrite the epic with more vivid language with older children. Excellent as a read aloud for younger children or for older children studying the ancient world.
Awards if any:
Links to published reviews from professional sources e.g. ALA, Booklist, Kirkus, SLJ, etc. if any: List of multiple reviews at this link: http://www.titlewave.com/search?SID=7...
June 5, 2008
We totally loved this trilogy. My kids spent hours looking at the pictures and asking me to re-read them.
Granted, it's a violent story so some of you may not want to read it to begin with. But it's handled really nicely and isn't all gory and gross while still retaining the original themes.
I do believe this is the one where "they explore the ways of love together". My kids didn't even catch that so I didn't dwell on it. It may become an issue worth discussing when they're older.
The art is done in the style of what has been found during that time which was another way to learn about the time period.
I like to find children's books of classic/adult books and have them read it when they're young. Hopefully when they're older they will better understand the classic works because they are already familiar with the characters and plots.
Granted, it's a violent story so some of you may not want to read it to begin with. But it's handled really nicely and isn't all gory and gross while still retaining the original themes.
I do believe this is the one where "they explore the ways of love together". My kids didn't even catch that so I didn't dwell on it. It may become an issue worth discussing when they're older.
The art is done in the style of what has been found during that time which was another way to learn about the time period.
I like to find children's books of classic/adult books and have them read it when they're young. Hopefully when they're older they will better understand the classic works because they are already familiar with the characters and plots.
October 8, 2012
Luke really, really took a liking to this trilogy. Imagine, one of the most ancient stories of the world, and it still captures the hearts and imaginations of children today.
The illustrations in this book are FANtastic! When Luke saw the picture of the Ishtar Gate (can't remember which of the 3 books that it was in), he literally RAN to our bookshelf, pulled down one of our history encyclopedia's and showed me a picture of Babylon and the Ishtar Gate!
The author really adapted this story nicely for children.
Its been a week since we read this trilogy for the first time, and Luke is still busy drawing pictures of Gilgamesh and Enkidu!
Luke and I both agreed that this book was a 4.5 star book.
The illustrations in this book are FANtastic! When Luke saw the picture of the Ishtar Gate (can't remember which of the 3 books that it was in), he literally RAN to our bookshelf, pulled down one of our history encyclopedia's and showed me a picture of Babylon and the Ishtar Gate!
The author really adapted this story nicely for children.
Its been a week since we read this trilogy for the first time, and Luke is still busy drawing pictures of Gilgamesh and Enkidu!
Luke and I both agreed that this book was a 4.5 star book.
January 3, 2015
Having read "The Epic of Gilgamesh" numerous times, it was nice to read the first of three books primarily published for a younger audience. Nicely illustrated by Ludmila Zeman, I am glad to have this trilogy in my personal library. Certainly, many of the details are glossed over, but that is the point. One thing I would debate is the Goodreads blurb about this trilogy. It says that Gilgamesh is one-half god and one-half human. The actual epic tells us that Gilgamesh is two-thirds god and one-third human. Zeman's narrative states that he is "part god and part man." If you want to immerse your 7 to 9 year old in the earliest piece of literature that we currently are aware of, buy this trilogy.
March 22, 2016
0316: We still own and refer to this trilogy from time-to-time. It's excellent. We first used this with our oldest son when he was in 1st Grade. It's a perfect introduction to the story of Gilgamesh.
Back Cover: The Gilgamesh epic is one of the world's oldest and most important legends. Gilgamesh is a terrible tyrant. When he orders his subjects to build a great wall, the exhausted people are in despair. But the evil king meets the "uncivilized" Enkidu, and learns lessons of friendship and true humanity that will change him forever. The story of Gilgamesh was first carved onto clay tablets in Mesopotamia. Its message of compassion, forgiveness, and friendship has echoed through the ages from its origins over 5,000 years ago.
Back Cover: The Gilgamesh epic is one of the world's oldest and most important legends. Gilgamesh is a terrible tyrant. When he orders his subjects to build a great wall, the exhausted people are in despair. But the evil king meets the "uncivilized" Enkidu, and learns lessons of friendship and true humanity that will change him forever. The story of Gilgamesh was first carved onto clay tablets in Mesopotamia. Its message of compassion, forgiveness, and friendship has echoed through the ages from its origins over 5,000 years ago.
February 10, 2014
This is the first book in the Gilgamesh Trilogy. We read all three picture books as part of our lesson on Ancient Babylon and Ancient Mesopotamia. My kids were fascinated by the stories and the illustrations. We would definitely recommend reading all three books in the trilogy and lingering over all of the interesting and detailed illustrations that tell an additional story about living in the times of ancient Mesopotamia. Note things like the architecture, Shamhat's lyre as well as Enkidu and Gilgamesh's long straws as they share a large jar of beer found in final illustration of this book.
December 16, 2011
This is a story that was written in Cuneiform in Mesopotamia and is one of the earliest known works of literature. My girls LOVED reading this picture book version when we were studying Mesopotamia and chose it at bedtime over and over. We practiced writing Cuneiform in clay and they really got it when I explained that we have this story today because someone wrote the story down, in clay, in Cuneiform. We were all a little blown away whe we realized we were reading one of the very oldest stories in the world. I highly recommend this!
May 27, 2015
This was a delightful book to read and with wonderful illustrations.
I read this book after taking a religious course through college. I would have much preferred reading it first. The story is easy to follow and at a 2nd to 3rd grade reading level. Several of my students asked to read it after I was finished with it. They also found the story interesting, engaging, and commented on the details of the illustrations. I look forward to reading the rest of Ludmila Zeman's books.
I read this book after taking a religious course through college. I would have much preferred reading it first. The story is easy to follow and at a 2nd to 3rd grade reading level. Several of my students asked to read it after I was finished with it. They also found the story interesting, engaging, and commented on the details of the illustrations. I look forward to reading the rest of Ludmila Zeman's books.
September 7, 2015
This is a very nice children's book introducing children to the ancient Sumerian culture. I enjoyed the artwork and liked how they incorporated some Sumerian artistic themes through the book. I appreciated the Story of Gilgamesh at the back that explains more of the history behind the story. Overall, the book was the perfect length and the text was at a nice level for my kindergartner and 3rd grader. Very nice book.
October 13, 2011
Phenomenal attribution for a story that is over 5000 years old and was discovered on clay tablets written in cuneiform. Also included are explanations of the changes in the land from the time of the story to today.
Beautiful illustrations and I like the way the text location changes from page to page, so as to best work with each illustration.
Wonderful story of what it means to be human.
Beautiful illustrations and I like the way the text location changes from page to page, so as to best work with each illustration.
Wonderful story of what it means to be human.
July 15, 2014
Well written and drawn adaptation of Gilgamesh's tale. It is the first part of a trilogy of tales that even children can understand and enjoy. Even as an adult, I was still thoroughly entertained. For anyone interested in Gilgamesh's story, I recommend checking out this adaptation. It may be brief and simplified, but you will get a solid base of understanding for this epic.
December 19, 2014
The beginning presents us with the beautiful brown face of Gilgamesh. He quickly loses any sympathy until Enkidu and Gilgamesh argue using cuneiform daggers. Each page is bordered in cuneiform. I wish I could tell you if the borders are actually readable.
December 5, 2009
The ancient tale of Gilgamesh the King was a fascinating read for the boys to hear. You really need to read the other 2 books in the series to get a good feel for Gilgamesh's quest and appreciate his friendship with Enkidu. This book is beautifully illustrated.
August 23, 2011
I use this during my Mesopotamia unit. The illustrations are so amazing and look like art straight from the time period. The story is also well written, not dumbed down, but right at the kids level. My students always like it.
October 20, 2012
King Gilgamesh will live in infamy, just as he greatly desired, due to the discovery of those old cuneiform tablets. Ludmila Zeman did a wonderful job adapting and illustrating these oldest known myths. This series of small picture books need to be read in order, and are really 1 tale.
June 5, 2016
Lovely illustrating and style.
Story greatly differed from what I recall of the version I read in college, but that was the main reason I picked it up. I was curious as to how it would be 'kid-friendly'. Different, but not bad.
Story greatly differed from what I recall of the version I read in college, but that was the main reason I picked it up. I was curious as to how it would be 'kid-friendly'. Different, but not bad.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews