Synopsis
Comic strip-style retellings of ancient tales introduce young readers to legendary monsters, including Grendel, the chimera, and the basilisk, from Norse, Greek, African, and other traditions.
Reviews
As in her earlier works, Williams's (The Iliad and the Odyssey; Greek Myths for Young Children) comic-strip style pictures--riddled with silly asides and puns--put a playful spin on myth, making potentially unwieldy material accessible. Captions under each picture recount the tale, while thought balloons inject irony and wit. For instance, in one panel, a soothsayer tells Bellerophon to enlist Pegasus's aid in order to defeat the fire-breathing Chimera. But the soothsayer's corresponding thought balloon adds a touch of comedy: "You'll never catch Pegasus, but you'll die if you don't!" Bellerophon replies, "Thanks a lot, soothsayer!" Williams similarly shines light on the Atlantic island-dwelling Basilisk, foul-smelling rooster and serpent hybrids; the bellowing Bunyips, who in Aboriginal mythology inhabit the Australian swamps; Isikukumanderu, a ravenous, river-dwelling creature in Bantu folklore; and Beowulf's Grendel. Williams creates visual variety with each story, changing the frames and shapes of the panels as well as the palette. Her beasts, true to tales of old, digest a number of humans before meeting their own grisly ends, yet the hyperbolic humor works to soften any images of violence ("Tasty tidbits!" announces one satisfied monster as she munches on would-be slayers). Similarly, kids will happily devour this fare. Ages 5-10. (Oct.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
In her signature comic-strip style, Williams introduces five monsters, from single specimens to entire species, all but one of whom has come to grief--Grendel and his mother at the hands of Beowulf; the Chimera from Bellerophon astride Pegasus; an island full of basilisks from a young hero hung with mirrors; a greedy river monster Isikukumanderu from a combination of overeating and a vengeful father. Only the Australian Bunyip lives to devour another day. The stories are retold in a theatrical, lighthearted manner, and the smiling, festively colored monsters have an unthreatening comic look. Fan a young reader's interest in mythology or hero tales with these classic encounters, then show them books such as Leonard Everett Fisher's Cyclops (1991) and Anne Rockwell's The One-eyed Giant and Other Monsters from the Greek Myths (1996). Sources aren't specified. John Peters
Grade 2-4-Readers are introduced to the old Roman Basilisk, a creature whose looks can kill; Australia's swamp-dwelling Bunyip; Denmark's Grendel (of Beowulf fame); ancient Greece's three-headed Chimera; and Isikukumanderu, an African she-monster that swallows a whole village. The colorful depictions of these creatures on the cover indicate that the stories aren't terribly scary; simple prose and watercolor cartoons reinforce the book's tone. The text, which appears in boxes below the drawings, spins a good yarn. The illustrations tell a great deal of the story. Williams's art, in bright yellows, turquoise, browns, and greens, is fun to pore over and explore. The cartoon-strip frames on each page, bordered by tiny decorative drawings and coupled with dialogue balloons galore, may fluster beginning readers; but this quibble aside, these fab five may fill a niche in folklore collections.
Angela J. Reynolds, West Slope Community Library, Portland, OR
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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