The Adventures of Odysseus - Hardcover

Lupton, Hugh; Morden, Daniel

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1841488003 ISBN 13: 9781841488004

Publisher: Barefoot Books, 2006

Synopsis

Retells the classic Greek epic about Odysseus and his adventures as he tries to return home after the Trojan War.

About this title

About the Author

Hugh Lupton & Daniel Morden are already well-known for their adult retelling of The Odyssey. Daniel has been telling stories since 1998, and lives in Wales. Hugh has worked on a number of other Barefoot titles, including The Story Tree (PB with CD: 9781905236121) and the award-winning Tales of Wisdom & Wonder (PB with CD: 9781905236831; Audio Book: 9781841484013). Hugh has been a professional storyteller for the past two decades. When he isn't performing in festivals around the world, he resides in East Anglia. Christina Balit spent much of her early life in the Middle East, before moving to London to study at Chelsea School of Art and the Royal College of Art. Christina lives with her husband and two children in Kent, England. This is her first project for Barefoot Books.

Reviews

Starred Review. Grade 3-7–Both Lupton and Morden bring their long and prestigious careers as storytellers to their retelling of the Odyssey–with impressive results. The power and drama of this classic tale have been retained, but the sentence structure has been simplified in such a way as to maintain the flow of the story yet be accessible to younger readers. The vocabulary is challenging–diadem, inscrutable, and implacable on the first page alone, but appropriate. Balit's watercolor, gouache, and gold-ink illustrations incorporate traditional Greek styles with contemporary elements and complement the text. This excellent source for introducing the timeless tale to a new generation should be considered a first purchase for most collections.–Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Great for storytelling and reading aloud, this handsome, large-size picture book retells Homer's epic of Odysseus' perilous journey home in an immediate, fast-paced narrative ("Half of me was furious. The other half was terrified. I drew my sword, intending to rush in and attack . . ."). The text is beautifully framed with crisp, brightly colored, mosaic-style illustrations of the heroes and monsters, rendered in watercolor, gouache, and gold ink. Particularly impressive are the image of the Cyclops' bloody eye, the sweeping view of shipwreck and the Land of the Dead, and the picture of the goddess Athene covering the island with a white swirling mist. Then there's Penelope at home, keeping her suitors at bay. For younger readers, this is an exciting introduction to the classic story. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Barefoot Books
• Publication date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1841488003
• ISBN 13: 9781841488004
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Balit Christina
• Number of pages: 96