A little background on myself: I have a degree in Folklore, and as such, I have far more than a passing familiarity with the Norse myths. Looking for a refresher course, I picked up Padraic Colum's NORDIC GODS AND HEROES.

I was utterly enchanted.

What Padraic Colum has written is a far cry from the dry overviews typical of books with similar titles. Rather, he has rewritten several of the major Nordic myths in a style reminiscent of the Eddas themselves. This is not a translation of the songs sung by the ancient Norsemen - it is a reinvention of them. A reinvention that captures their lyric beauty and makes it fresh.

What the reader is left with, then, is the stories themselves, stories that are no longer ancient and musty, but timeless and magical. The characters leap off the page (with the help of Willy Pogany's intricate, dynamic illustrations) as would characters from any classic fantasy novel. Odin, Thor, Loki, et. al. are no longer relegated to the basement of a museum as artifacts, but are vital and alive as they ever were.

This book is not just recommended as an introduction to Norse mythology - although it certainly works very well as such. This is recommended as an entertaining story for anyone, most especially, I mention these days, to those who are fans of Tolkien's original LORD OF THE RINGS novels. (Remember, Tolkien was trying to write a new Norse saga, after all.) Reading Colum's take, you'll discover Tolkien was branching off an incredible source.

I liked this book because it is very accessible. For childeren and young adults this may be the best introduction to Nordic mythology. This book contains no bibliography, index, or glossary, yet its emphasis on the basics is also what is makes it attractive. Every story is preceeded by a black and white graphic that represents the main idea or characters of that story.

The book is divided into four parts. The first is concerned with the stories about the Nordic pantheon and the daily interaction betweens gods and giants. The second part focuses on Odin and his travels and accomplishments. The third part focuses on Locki, the most crafty off all dwellers in Asgard. The fourth and final part sets up for the twilight of the gods and presents a resolution at Ragnarok. I definitely recommend this book.

This was an excellent book and well worth the price. The stories were very readable and exciting and the illustrations were a great addition. If you want a great book on the stories of the Norse gods this is the one!

This is a fantastic book for those who love faerie tales. The story of Cinderella is expanded upon, giving her an actual personality. It's especially heart-warming that the prince has to do more than match her up with a glass slipper to earn her love and her hand in marriage. I highly recommend this book to anyone who ever wished their beloved childhood faerie tales would never end (or at least, weren't so darn short!) If you can't find this book, I would also recommend "Deerskin" and "Beauty" by Robin McKinley, and "Briar Rose" by Jane Yolen. Happy reading!

Whether you are Irish by blood, or just wish you were, A Treasury of Irish Folklore is the book for you. Everything from Irish myths, superstitions, and even songs of Ireland are included. From blessings, to spells, this book is chocked full of info, ready for you to crack the cover. Check it out, I promise you, you won't be dissappointed

My, this tale wanders! But it always manages to stagger back, and within its digressions one gradually becomes aware that the characters have come to accept that their main business is to be about finding how their own story comes out.

If that sounds a bit like life itself, it isn't. It is, rather, the exuberant piling-on and folding-in of narratives by a master story-teller. In the end, evil is trumped and love triumphant, as we always knew it would be. But like those bards of old who earned their place nearest the fire by their hypnotic words and unflagging invention, Colum delights in the texture of the telling, and assumes that old bargain with his audience, where we come to the tale with an appetite for wonder and an ability to listen, and he builds those gorgeous stage-sets and animates them with his language.

I enjoyed this somewhat less than "Nordic Gods and Heroes"; although Willy Pogony does the illustrations here as well, they are not as powerfully evocative. Also, in that other book I felt I was learning something: it was a story, but it was also "official" myth. This is just a shaggy prince story that wanders confusingly. But, though not very educational, it was still a thoroughly entertaining ramble.

Our child came home from school one day and excitedly announced that the teacher was reading to the class "the best story," The King of Ireland's Son, by Padraic Colum. After much hunting I finally found the book on Amazon.com. It is a beautifully crafted story full of rich images and detail. The charecters and environments come to life with a sophistication that children and adults both appreciate. My husband never used to like to read to our child at bedtime but now has taken over this role - because he loves reading The King of Ireland's Son. He says nightly after finishing a chapter, "this is such a great story!!"

Hi, my great grandmother was Bridgit Colum, and Padriac Colum is my cousin from county Longford, in Ireland. I haven't read Padriac's book yet...but I am sure that it will be an exciting tale to read. The Ireland they knew was surrounded by family...and sometimes joy and also sorrow. I can only imagine the colorful characters that Padriac Colum has invented in his stories.....they will truly be a great legacy to uphold on the richness of Ireland's culture and folklore. I am going to read all of the books written by my cousin and hope that you too will enjoy them!

The Children's Homer is a great book for older elementary children if they like adventure and are interested in learning about Greek society. It is an excellent book about the great Greek hero Odysseus and his son, Telemachus. When Telemachus is a baby his father, Odysseus, is called to go to war. When Telemachus grows older, the goddess Athene tells him to go seek his father. Telemachus obeys and great adventure begins. I personally thought that the names were hard to keep up with, but the book holds much magic and adventure. I also would have never wanted to read the book on my own, but I'm glad I got the chance in school. The book kept me interested just about all the time, and I always looked forward to reading more. My favorite character was Odysseus, because he was brave and wise. He would listen to advice given to him and was polite and thankful. I think I will always remember the story because it shows many good character traits that everyone needs.

I read this book to my Grade 4 class with some initial reservations, thinking it would be beyond them. THEY LOVED IT! A couple of brighter ones were particularly interested in Greek myths before I started, and they helped to spark the whole class, but they all were able to understand it. I checked with the class a number of times to see if they wanted me to continue, and it was always a unanimous YES! Knowing that the Odyssey and the Illiad are considered the greatest stories of all time, and such ancient, ancient stories, really hooked them in them. Padraic Colum's language is sophisticated, and the sentence structure is complex, but it is so lyrical and clean, the kids seemed caught in a spell listening to it. One of the lovely things about reading classics to children, is that they see how imbedded in our culture they are. For instance, they could recognize Homer's influence in cartoons and T.V. shows! When we finished, one of the rich discussion topics was how Homer's and the early Greeks' view of women affects our society today. A number of parents expressed gratitude and awe that I would read such sophisticated literature to young children, and were highly impressed with their children's interest in it.

I first read this book in 1971, when I was in 7th grade. I still think about it. It provided a colorful introduction to the classics. I was not surprised to see that a class of 4th graders loved it.

I've taught 6th grade for more than a decade so I'm quite familiar with the Greek heroes. That's why I was so disappointed to discover that this is one of the most boring versions of the Greek myths I've ever read. Perhaps in 1922, when it was new, it excited children to research further, but modern kids find the language stulted and the action almost non-existent. Far better versions of these stories exist. Unfortunately for me, taken in by good reviews, I bought twenty copies for classroom use before discovering how deadly dull it was. If you have a kid whose read everything else, s/he might be interested, otherwise just forget it.

I think that the golden fleece was a great book and had great illistrations,and detail in the story a few places are a little rough but still a great book. It whould be a little better if it did'int keep skiping story's

This volume by the transplanted Irish poet Padraic Colum is a well-known introduction to Greek mythology for children. It was a runner-up to the first (1922) Newbery Medal for best contribution to American children's literature. In the framework of telling the story of Jason and the Argonauts, other noted stories are told (e.g., Theseus and the Minotaur, the labors of Hercules, etc.). In this edition, the artwork is in the style of the 1920s. You can even imagine "flappers" dancing. Children enjoy this introduction and search for more.

This is the worst book i have ever read!!!!!! Never read it!!!! It is soooooo boring! Are English teacher made us read it! Don't read it!