08/01/2014
Gr 11 Up—This series volume organizes summaries of 200-plus tales by geographic location. A time line, 12 maps, a bibliography, an annotated list of nine websites, free online access, and excellent in-depth interpretive commentary on each story add value. Myths predominate, though there are numerous folk and fairy tales and a smattering of quasi-historical legends (though somewhat arbitrarily categorized). The book contains numerous issues: it lacks illustrations and a pronunciation guide, and its perfunctory lesson plan and short essay on teaching myths are less than useful. Pieces of each story are presented haphazardly. Moreover, the selection criteria are subjective and capricious. Sources are not always the locus classicus of the tale but sometimes a later or alien reshaping (such as the American version of the Korean Cinderella), and the myths here are not necessarily the most important, influential, or meaningful. Foundation myths of some living religions (Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism) are included, but Jesus and Mohammed are left out. The uneven selection, lack of cohesion, and absence of essays providing regional or cultural context seriously reduce the book's worth. Better options include the second edition of David Adams Leeming's The World of Myth (2013), which is arranged thematically and with single-author coherence, though it contains less interpretive help, and Eva Thury's third edition of Introduction to Mythology (2012, both Oxford), which is narrower in scope but includes original texts, art, varied critical perspectives, and notes.—Patricia D. Lothrop, St. George's School, Newport, RI
