Product Description

Travel back to a mythical time when Achilles, aided by the gods, waged war against the Trojans. And join Odysseus on his journey through murky waters, facing obstacles like the terrifying Scylla and whirring Charybdis, the beautiful enchantress Circe, and the land of the raging Cyclôpes. Using narrative threads from The Iliad and The Odyssey, Padraic Colum weaves a stunning adventure with all the drama and power that Homer intended.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #34534 in Books
• Published on: 2004-06-22
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

Review
Publishers WeeklyColum's stirring telling of the Greek epics is unequaled as an introduction to the classic myths for young readers.

Customer Reviews

The Allen Kids Review
Our mom just finished reading The Children's Homer to us. It was interesting. The story is about people and adventures. We liked the part when someone sings a song about Odysseus building the horse. It's the children's homer and we think you should learn more about the journey of Odysseus. You will also learn about Achilles and some of the battles of Troy. We like that Odysseus was most wanting to get home to his family.
Ages 10, 8, and 7.

What Every Parent Should Buy for their Children.
This beautifully written book by the famous Irish poet should be read by, or to, every child to give them an introduction to the most important work (Not including Religion) ever composed.The story here told has inspired people of all civilisations for nearly 3,000 years. No person should be allowed reach adulthood without having experienced some aspects of Greek classical civilisation and these action-packed tales of heroism, humanity, weakness, tragedy and joy are a great starting-point. A sampling of the stories of the Iliad, Odyssey and of other Greek myths and heroes can be the start of a lifetime of fascination.

Challenging but wonderful
Although the language in this book is rather challenging, we still found it accessible and enjoyable. These classic stories can get too "watered-down" in the easier versions, which takes away the richness and depth that has made them classics in the first place. My 12 year old homeschooled son looked at these and Rosemary Sutcliff's Black Ships Before Troy and Wanderings of Odysseus and ultimately chose this one, but the Sutcliff books are a good alternative if the advanced language proves to be too much of a barrier. She has several good classic retellings. Either way, these stories should be a part of every child's education--they're wonderful!