D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths

The D'Aulaires' illustrations have a memorable quality: once pored over, they will never leave the minds of the viewer. Decades later, the name Gaea will still evoke the soft green picture of lovely Mother Earth, her body hills and valleys and her eyes blue lakes reflecting the stars of her husband, Uranus the sky. No child is too young to appreciate the myths that have built the foundation for much of the world's art and literature over the centuries. This introduction to mythology is a treasure. (Ages 10 to adult) --Emilie Coulter

Product Description
"For any child fortunate enough to have this generous book...the kings and heroes of ancient legend will remain forever matter-of-fact; the pictures interpret the text literally and are full of detail and witty observation."--Horn Book.

"The drawings...are excellent and excitingly evocative."--The New York Times.


From the Hardcover edition.

What originally struck me as so fantastic (and still does) is that the D'aulaires don't write down to their audience or edit out details important to the original myth that some parents might not approve of. The end result? An all ages storybook and mythological primer that no one should be ashamed to own.

The drawings are an acquired taste, falling somewhere between Classical pottery paintings and Art Deco, but they do grow on you. My only quibble is that there's no pronunciation guide, which can really hamper you if this is your first exposure to these stories.

Buy this for for your children or even for yourself, you will never regret it.


Great for a childys understanding of the world.   November 10, 2000
Zack Davisson (Seattle, WA, USA)
30 out of 30 found this review helpful

I think this book introduced me to the idea of studying. When I was young, I devoured this. I knew every story, every character, and every adventure. This was the foundation for more book reports and special projects than I could list. The myths are presented in an easily understandable format that does not talk down to children. The illustrations, while simple, are full of life and charm. This is a perfect children's book.

"D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths" also gave me a great insight into a more adult world, and a curiosity, which I still carry to this day. Astronomy was no problem, as I already knew the names of things. Science also held fewer mysteries than it might have. (Hippocratic oath anyone?) My interest in Greek Myths lead to interest in Rome, which was followed by Shakespeare's Roman plays. Greek statuary lead to an interest in art, and a trip to the British Museum. Someday I hope to travel to Greece itself, and view the stomping grounds of Heracles and Belpheron.

All starting from this book. I think that is a pretty good recommendation.


A Children's favorite (and also this adult's!)   June 29, 2000
C. S. Bloedorn (Elkridge, MD United States)
27 out of 31 found this review helpful

My mom got a copy of this book for the family when I was 6 or 7 and I read it so much that the pages fell out. I memorized the myths and told them to my friends. This books started a life-long love of mythology--okay, so I'm only 23--still, I adore the human foibles of the gods, and I LOVE the illutstrations. They have ingrained in me the way I see the Greek Gods and inspired me to take a trip to Athens and the rest of Greece. As I stood at Leto's rock in Delfi, tears came to my eyes. I realized that I was where she had given baby Apollo the mission to take it as his own temple, and the majesty and history of the place nearly overcame me. My mom got me a copy of this for my 21st birthday, and it was the best present I had gotten (and have gotten) in a long time.

If you like Greek myths, you will love this book. If you just like stories, you will love this book.

The only inaccuracy is that to make the stories age-appropriate, many of Zeus' "adventures" are somewhat censored, but not in a major way.


Finally I know who is who   January 22, 2001
Daniel Gladis (Czech Republic)
19 out of 19 found this review helpful

Through my whole life I was hearing bits and pieces from the Greek mythology - the stories of Prometheus, Hades, the Argonauts. I liked those stories, but altogether the whole Greek mythology was a mess to me. And now finally, when I read this book, everything connected and a clear picture was formed.

The book covers in (what looks like) a chronological sequence events from the birth of Titans and Zeus, through strories on the "major Gods" like Hera, Poseidon or Hades, then "minor Gods" like Prometheus, Dionysus, Pandora to The Golden Fleece story and finishes with the "end of Gods".

The book is amusing and also very educative. We come across referrals to the Greek mythology almost every day. And this book helps us understand the relations. Read about Apollo, Orion, Echo, The Nine Muses, Orpheus, Sisyphus, Heracles and others. It is a good fun.


A Gem For All Ages   January 7, 2002
L. DePhillips (Waldwick, NJ USA)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful

I am so glad that I found this book again. I owned it as a child and over the years it was misplaced. This book has to be if not the best then one of the best books of classical mythology for children. It is also an excellent primer for adults who want a solid overview of Greek mythology. It begins with the Greek myth of Creation and tells all of the better known stories of Greek myth. The stories, though at times complex, are easy to follow even for a child. Also, the illustrations are absolutely wonderful and vivid. This book was a great help with several elementary and high school projects. Now in college, I have run across others who also remember this book fondly as 'the big yellow book ' that they had as a child. I believe it should be an essential part of any child's library, and also makes a great resource for any adult interested in Greek mythology.