As a mom supplementing her children's education with part-time homeschooling in the areas of ancient history, literature and religion, I had already acquired several of McCaughrean's other books (most notedly her kid version of "The Odessey" and "Greek Myths") when I changed apon this book (yes, on Amazon!). Knowing the quality of Geraldine McCaughrean's work already, and desirous of intertwining Old Testement stories with the study of Ancient Egypt, Rome, etc I bought "God's People". It has exceeded my expectations! My eight year old, six year old, and four year old are listening , mezmerized, to the story of Adam and Even, Cain and Abel, Noah and the Flood (as is my son with autism - who particularity enjoys the colors and details of Anna Leplar's apt illustrations.) Each "story" is condensed to just two or three illustrated pages, perfect for little attention spans at bedtime. McCaughrean's writing is truly livid and poetic - she does not "dumb down" material (as too many adapters of material for children often do). Read this bit out loud to yourself : "Let the ocean teem with life," cried God, and in the rich salt soup of the seas there floated life-forms -- too small to see at first, one cell, then two, then worms and jellyfish, sharks and razorshells. Soon more species swam the coral halls and muontain peaks of the seven seas than imagination can fathom. Whales as huge as islands cruised their purple territories, singins their eerie music to the stars."

Can't you just see and hear those whales! This is a book even a parent can enjoy - and has a mom of four kids I've had to read a lot of kid lit bilge and know the "good stuff" when I see it. I will be buying more books by this author - you will, too. And if yo are particularily looking for an introduction to the Bible that will captivate the younguns' stop here - you've found it.

The Golden Hoard is an exellent book. It features myths, ledgends, and folktales from many different cultures and ethniciteis. The tales are presented with beautifully done illustrations, and in a way that all ages can appreciate. Children as young as four, and as old as 14 will enjoy recieving this for their bookcases.

I thought this book was delightful! It has beautiful illustrations and an exciting and cute story for children. I loved the book!

Geraldine McCaughrean is one of the most respected author/editors of collections of traditional tales. Her tone is always right on in this volume which is excellent as a read-aloud for young children. Ms. McCaughrean keeps the humor in the tales but goes light on the menace. This is a most effective treatment for very young children. I wouldn't hesitate to begin reading these tales to children as young as one year of age. Children have an almost instinctive need for traditional folk tales and My First Oxford Book of Stories provides enough material for many nights of bed-time (or other time!) reading. Excellent illustrations add to the magic.

This is a sweet, beautiful book! The muted illustrations are a perfect match to the lyrical text. My young daughter really enjoyed this book, and we had fun thinking of how many different ways you can keep time.

...for Pokemon, dinosaurs, ghost stories, Robin Hood, and piratical history! I am no classical scholar, as is obvious from that last sentence, but I am a mom who reads alot to her children and I've a working understanding of Homer's poetic tale, The Odyssey. Ms. McCaughrean's version was gripping! We had a very hard time putting it down the first time, and on our second read through we just kept going until the end! This book enthralled a 7 and a 4, while remaining as true to the text as I've seen yet in a children's version (slight editing may be required for the very squeamish or quite young.) My children acted the tale out on their own when we were through and held impromptu literary discussions for days afterwards. Like Bible stories, Greek myths have been done a thousand times over for children. Before you set off to wade through to find the diamonds, take my word for it that this is definitely one of them. Also, her collection of classic mythical stories is recommended although, dare I say it, this is even better than that.

This was a very, very good book! I am in ballet and I wanted to learn more about the sport that I love! It told about all of the ballets I had seen and heard about. There were even a few that I had never heard of before. It is a terrific book for all dancers or just lovers of the ballet!

If you know some of the stories already, this review is for you. The stories deserve 5 start, but in my opinion for a book about 1001 stories, it ought to have all 1001 stories. Otherwise, it should say that somewhere in the title, thus the lower score.

Oxford University Press, 1993. Stories (meant for children) include fables, romances, narrative jokes,and fairy tales, linked to one another by the King and Queen's own love story. Shahrazad's attempts to stave off execution by telling just one more story have been expanded to fuller effect than in many versions. The book is written in a style that is clear, gripping, and poetic, conveying the flavor of the original and preserving the context of a magic, jinni-ridden desert world. 12 color plates and many b/w illustrations.

This is one of the most famous classic fictions. I have just read some of the stories but I find them very interesting. For example ' Princess Lila and the three brothers' is one of the most fanastic stories. This story is about three princes in order to marry the beautiful Princess Lila, They went far far away to find the moset wonderful things on earth. The one with the most wonderful things can marry the princess. I think their ' wonderful thing' is really wonderful. Do you want to know what's the wonderful thing? Do buy one and find out the answer! You will be surprised!

I was completely surprised that this turned out to be a good book! I expected it to be violent, dull, and feminist. But boy was I wrong! I didn't like Nathan much, but I loved Tamo and Maud and how they were "married". But what happened to them? Did they fall in love, get married, and have kids? Or did they go their seperate ways? Nevertheless it was a woderful plot with believable characters. The author REALLY needs to write a sequel,though, because she needs to finish her story.

All I will say is that if you don't read this book, you will be missing alot

I absolutely LOVED this book! I love pirates and heroines-and Maud was such a perfect, sweet, fun heroine. Tamo was interesting, Nathan was uptight, but that just added to the plot. Also, I agree with the above comment that the author should tell us anxious readers what happened to Tamo and Maud!! I didn't care as much about Nathan as I did about Maud, and yet we know what happened to him. I am dying to know!! Did they get married? Did Maud stay in Madagascar? What happened to Tamo? PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE write another one!!

This version of the Canterbury Tales (Everyman) contains all of the tales (including the rather tedious prose tales), and is in the original language. As anyone planning to read the Tales will be aware, old English is not easy! This book takes a lot of time to read. Is it worth it?

Yes. But a qualified yes. As an insight into life during this time in history, and particularly as a demonstration of how little humans have changed over the centuries, this book is very useful. Many of the tales are quite amusing and interesting. On the other hand, many tales are filled with rather drawn out, tedious sections, and a couple are just plain boring.

For a person who wishes to read most of the major English classics, this book must be read, and I think the only way to really appreciate it is in its original form, not in modernised English. For this purpose, the Everyman version is excellent, as it features convenient gloss on each page, so looking up difficult words can be done at a glance, which disturbs the flow a lot less. I would highly recommend trying to read the book in as short a space of time as possible, though, because you do get used to the grammar and vocabulary, and while it is fresh in your mind, it allows you to read the rest of the book with a lot less glossing.

Be aware that I read this book for personal interest, not as part of any particular course, so I am reviewing from the point of view of a general reader, not a literary scholar.

In addition to its literary importance, Chaucer's Canterbury Tales are an enchanting reading experience. The Bantam Classic edition presents the tales in Modern English translation alongside the Middle English so that one can fully appreciate the tales as Chaucer composed them, or if you're just in the mood for a fun romp you can speedily read the translation. The tales themselves move at a quick pace, so beginners will probably enjoy the modern version much more.

The Canterbury Tales revolve around a group of 29 on a pilgrimage to Canterbury Cathedral to pay homage to the martyred St. Thomas a'Becket. The members of the pilgrimage come from all walks of life, including a Knight, Prioress, Merchant, Miller, the ever-entertaining Wife of Bath, and many others. The Canterbury Tales are the pilgrims' stories and each one reflects the individual character's personality beautifully. One can't help but feel a part of this lively group.

Whether you like a bawdy, raucous tale or a morally sound fable you will definitely find something entertaining in this book. I laughed out loud several times and found Chaucer's use of symbolism, wit, wisdom, and the glimpse into 14th Century life absolutely fascinating.

The biggest hurdle in reading Chaucer is the language. Trying to read his work in Middle English is impossible without really good footnotes, and some of the "translations" are even worse--they're written in a high-blown, pompous style that takes all the fun out of the stories.

All this being so, I was delighted to find the Puffin Classics version retold by Geraldine McCaughrean! The tales are told in an easy-to-read, flowing style that captures the bawdy humor of the originals, without being over-crass (this is a children's book, after all.) I found myself often laughing out loud, and wishing I'd found this version much sooner, because it makes Chaucer fun to read! I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to try Chaucer but feels intimidated by the scholarly-looking versions available in the "Literature and Classics" sections. You won't become expert in reading Middle English, but you WILL see why The Canterbury Tales has such a wonderful reputation!