This is a great re-telling of the Odyssey by the blind poet, Homer. I love how this abridged version of the Odyssey is pretty simple, but very informative and perfect for the age it is written for. In this book, kids learn more about the Ancient Greek culture through the fabulous illustrations and the enlightening text. The illustrations are awesome. Ten years have passed since the fall of Troy, and the Greek hero Odysseus still has not returned to his kingdom in Ithaca. A large and rowdy mob of suitors who have overrun Odysseus’s palace and pillaged his land continue to court his wife, Penelope. She has remained faithful to Odysseus. Prince Telemachus, Odysseus’s son, wants desperately to throw them out but does not have the confidence or experience to fight them. One of the suitors, Antinous, plans to assassinate the young prince, eliminating the only opposition to their dominion over the palace. If the Iliad has given Western culture a model of heroic warfare, with mores of bravery, strength, and honor, the Odyssey has provided something else entirely. It isnot an epicof social and political communities and relationships, but an epic portrayal of one man over the course of many years. As such, it is a closer ancestor to artistic forms more familiar to us, such as the novel or film. Even the word odyssey itself has entered the language, meaning a long wandering, voyage, or quest. While the Iliad is often characterized in terms of its grandeur and stately glory, the Odyssey, a far more seductive tale, has drawn readers by virtue of its sheer, engaging delight.

Odysseus has a brilliant idea for how to win the Trojan war. Then he and his men have to outwit gods and monsters to get home to Ithaca. When he gets there, he's got to fight a bunch of bad guys who are holding his wife captive and then convince her he really is her long-lost husband. The adventures challenge Odysseus's brain as much as his fighting skills. Following the whole thing is like playing a great video game and winning. My Year 4 placement class are studying this this term and I have really enjoyed reading it. I usually find Greek myths hard to follow - particularly in terms of remembering all of the unfamiliar names and place names - but this version of Homer's Odyssey is cleverly abridged and brings the story to life in a way that is accessible for children.Eleventh, Odysseus goes to Ogygia, home of Calypso. She keeps him captive for seven years. She gives him a raft but it is soon destroyed by Poseidon, who is still angry with him because of the death of his cyclops son. Ninth, Odysseus must choose between sailing by either Scylla, a six-headed monster, or Charybdis, a giant whirlpool. Taking Circe's advice, he sails by Scylla, who devours only six of his men and allows them to pass. Athena’s anger subsides and her old affection for Odysseus renews, so she decides to set things right. While Poseidon, still angry with Odysseus, is away from Olympus, she convinces the other gods to help Odysseus return home. In disguise in Ithaca, she convinces Telemachus to search for his father. Telemachus goes to Pylos, the home of Nestor, who sends him to Menelaus in Sparta. Menelaus says he has captured Proteus, the shape-shifting sea god, who says Odysseus is being held prisoner of love by the sea nymph Calypso.

Odysseus slaying the suitors, detail of a red-figure skyphos from Tarquinii, c. 450 bc; in the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Ger. If you want to learn about something without working your way through lots and lots of hard-to-understand material and unnecessary information, children's books are usually a good place to start. I've done presentations based mostly on kids book on history and gotten really great marks: they always tell you the most important things in a way that's easy to understand. Seventh, Odysseus meets with the blind prophet Tiresias in the Underworld. He encounters lost family and friends. Tiresias warns him of the dangers that lie ahead. Twelfth, Odysseus floats to Scheria, where he is taken in by the princess and king. He tells them his story and they agree to help him by providing him with one of their best ships to return to Ithaca. Now, this doesn't mean the story isn't enjoyable or worth reading; it's the adventures of Odysseus after all! As mentioned all the various aspects of the story have been included. The authors have kept the violence of the original in place and while not inappropriately graphic at all it certainly is not for the squeamish as the cyclopes bashes a man's brains against a wall then pops him in his mouth, for example. However, on the other hand, the sensuous nature of the original has been left out all together and is perfectly clean for all ages.

So when I realized I wanted to know more about Odysseus (because greek mythology is really rad), i immediately went to the children's section of the library. The Greek king of Ithaca, Odysseus, was called upon to fight against Troy in the Trojan War. After the war, Odysseus and his soldiers sailed for Ithaca. But, when they moor at a strange island, and blind the giant cyclops Polyphemus, Odysseus shouts his name during bloating to the monster about who blinded it. The cyclops curses Odysseus and his crew. Polyphemus’ father, the god of the sea, Poseidon, then makes it extremely trying for Odysseus and his crew. Most of the crew die. Will Odysseus and his men every see home again? Odysseus's return voyage begins well - but there is a prophesy that his journey will take 10 years. He sees land and takes a group of 12 with him to find food and fresh water. They are amazed to find that everything seems much larger than they are familiar with - including the sheep. They see a cave and make their way up to it hoping to find the shepherd. They find the cave empty - apart from some of the shepherd's animals and cheeses - so they slaughter a lamb and enjoy a roast meal. But the shepherd is about to return... As we are able to understand where Odysseus is coming from, we can also spot those actions of his that have less than virtuous motives. A prime example is his stay with Circe: basking in luxury with a beautiful mistress, he whiles away an entire year feasting and drinking, unfaithful to a wife and son who, at great danger and in much unhappiness, are trying to hold his house together. Likewise, Odysseus wishes to hear the Sirens’ song out of curiosity but also out of a desire for pleasure; to attain this wish, he is willing to abandon prudence and to put himself above his fellow sailors. This aspect of Odysseus has led some of the epic’s interpreters to see him as thirsty for experience, regardless of the cost to himself or to those, like Penelope and Telemachus, to whom he owes allegiance. Odysseus has fascinated generations of writers, from Dante to James Joyce. He is perhaps the most complex and, in a way, modern character of all of Greek literature. His motivations are many, which makes us relate to him and believe his experience of emotion. It is not as easy to relate to Achilles, half-divine and invulnerable aside from his heel, or Agamemnon, willing to sacrifice his daughter based on a prophet’s advice and a vow he has made. Odysseus is more human and practical-minded, relying on his own sharp wits rather than trusting himself to divine aid, as other characters do.