Favorite Greek Myths

by Bob Blaisdell

The Greek myths have intrigued countless generations of readers with their exciting tales of adventure, calamity, and conquest. This entertaining collection — excellently retold for young audiences by Bob Blaisdell — invites children to relive the memorable experiences of familiar characters from Greek mythology.
Taken directly from the writings of Homer, Hesiod, Sophocles, Aeschylus, Euripides, and other ancient storytellers, the myths recount the stirring and imaginative tales of Pandora's box, Prometheus, the dreaded Cyclops, the labors of the mighty Hercules, the captivating stories of Narcissus and Echo, Aphrodite and Eros, Daedalus and Icarus, Hades and Persephone, and many more.
Set in large, easy-to-read type and enhanced by six full-page black-and-white illustrations, these enduring fables from the fountainhead of Western civilization will thrill and delight new generations of adventure-seekers.

Genres: Mythology, Fiction, Childrens, Literature, Juvenile, Greece, Ancient History

96 pages, Paperback

First published April 22, 1995

About the author

Bob Blaisdell is a published adapter, author, editor, and an illustrator of children's books and young adult books. He teaches English in Brooklyn at Kingsborough Community College. He is a reviewer for the San Francisco Chronicle and Christian Science Monitor and the editor of more than three dozen anthologies for Dover Publications. Email him at Robert.Blaisdell@Kingsborough.edu

Reviews

[Madelynne Marsden · Rating 4 out of 5]

This mythology book is so good for kids. It’s short but the stories are concise and you really learn the myth. I knew some of these myths previously but it was nice to have a basic story for each one and learning some background.

It went in order rather than jumping around to different times. So you meet people in the order in which they came in Greek mythology. I found this helpful especially when it came to knowing Heracles and how he came to be who he was.

Since it was only 96 pages there wasn’t much that could be told but the stories that were told fit together perfectly. I think this could be a series that followed other Greek gods/myths. I wish I read something like this growing up.

[Neali]

Quick and fun introduction to Greek mythology for children/review for adults. Wish I had come across this prior to reading Circe!

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lawrence Ferlinghetti has said, "I come from a New York generation which was before the Beat Generation, a generation that assumed that you would know the allusion when you referred to such things as Prufrock or Stephen Dedalus, Maud Gonne or Godot, Penelope’s unraveling her knitting at night, or Dover Beach or Walden Pond, or 'lilacs last in the door-yard bloom’d.'" Times certainly change, as do literary tastes, but I fear that too few people would get these allusions today. I share stories like these with my son to instill in him (hopefully) a love of literature and an interest in the classics.

This book, despite the mediocre writing style -- packed full of stories and characters from Greek mythology in much too short a space (96 pages) -- is a good introductory for kids to Greek tragedy and mythology. It does provide lots of room for discussion about history and social norms (the story of Oedipus for example, or the wrath of the gods). My son may not now be familiar with Joyce's Stephen Dedalus, but I hope he could recall, after reading this, that Daedalus is the father of Icarus and that he could recall (at least briefly) the story of Penelope and Odysseus. I feel that it provided a concise intro to Greek mythology for him and a nice refresher for me.

[Marjorie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short book in plain language and Mr. Blaisdell gets to the point of the story. This makes it easier to understand and keep somewhat straight the many Gods, Goddesses, Titans, Muses, Seasons, Fates, Graces, the list could go on. Some of the important deities have a chapter of their own and some of the stories are simply told, The Odyssey, The Trojan War, The Jason Voyage under the title, The Argonauts. For anyone interested in Greek Mythology this book is worth a read.

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A children’s version of Greek mythology. I remembered I had this book after reading Circe which was based on mythology characters. I forgot how magical, yet violent many of the tales can be. Also the many names that are similar and complex family relationships. Overall a good introduction to some of the stories.

[Arwen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another Dover Children's book, a little longer than the other two(Chinese Fairy Tales and African Folk Tales). Still it's simple stories written for children. Just what you'd expect.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short book simply told with all the key stories.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short, easy to read condensed versions of six different Greek Myths.
Gods & Titans
Hercules
Heroes and Monsters
The Argonauts
The Trojan War
The Odyssey

[Bookcat24 · Rating 1 out of 5]

Let's just say "Favorite Greek Myths" weren't my favorite Greek Mythology book. I wanted to like this book but after and during reading I just felt otherwise. (You know, when you force yourself just to finish the book that means you don't like it that much.) There were many classic Greek myths in it but they all just felt too simple and a bit like summaries with not a lot of dialogue, character thoughts, or descriptions. Yes, I understand that this is a kids book but if you want kids to read Greek myths, give them something better. ;)

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

The stories are great, and easy to read, but they've been shortened a little too much. It feels like some life is missing. I would recommend the Mary Pope Osborne book instead. Still, its a good clear overview of some of the most famous stories for a child who is already interested.

[Lisa Dominick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favorite Greek Myths by Bob Blaisdell is an illustrated fantasy eBook collection of Greek mythology intended for readers age 8 to 12 years old. This eBook recounts the myths about the Greek Gods and Titans, Hercules, the Argonauts, and Odysseus, just to name a few. I gave the book a 4-star rating because the stories remained true to the original authors’ writings and brought life into the stories because of the details and illustrations that were shared. The book was easy to read which would allow for young readers to follow the stories without being distracted by the language that the original stories were told. Furthermore, compared to other mythology books where the illustrations look cartoonish, the illustrations in this book were more mature and detailed in nature which will appeal to older children. This book could be used by teachers to discuss mythology and research the accuracy of the book. Moreover, some discussion points could be where did the Greek Gods come from and why did the Greeks feel the need to invent such beliefs? Who were the main Greek Gods and how did they play a part in the lives of the Greek? Do the Greek still believe in mythology and how do they affect people today?

[Caspian A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad boo. Short and quick. I would say a very good one for kids to get familiar with some terms and terminologies in Greek mythology. Although, I would have liked it better if it didn't cut the Trojan war and Heracles' adventures to a very short note; same is true for the whole Odysseus's adventurous trip back home from the war.

[Nayira · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very easy-to-read collection if you want to review some of the famous Greek Myths.
My favorite story is Troy. I have been styding these books with my students, so it's a good excuse to find some short reads during the so not enough time that I have lately.

Good thing it is fiction, cause I don't like the Gods thing, but the adventures are brave characters are pretty cool.

[Private Account · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fine intro to the Greek myths. My 4 1/2 year old loved it. Especially the stories about the battle of Troy and Odysseus. It occurs to me that whereas stories like the Odyssey are boring for high schoolers, 4-year-olds LOVE it, it's like gold, as good as Spiderman.

[Marah · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing is so convoluted that sometimes I didn't even understand, and I know these myths already! My kids were lost.

[Max Anadon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Could be a quick read for or to children. Very brief, but a refresher of highlights if you know the stories.

[Upom · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet and short review of historical Greek myths, somewhat edited for children. Good way to refresh yourself on these topics, especially The Iliad and the Odyssey.

[Kim Carter · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice quick read that gets you back up to date with the many different greek myths!

[Carlos]

is good

[Jahan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book (which I bought from a Silver Rod) and Microsoft's "Age of Mythology," introduced me to Greek mythology at a young age, and I am better for it.

[Clare Skeets · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick easy reintroduction to the classic greek myths