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Myths That Every Child Should Know  By  cover art

Myths That Every Child Should Know

By: Hamilton Wright Mabie - editor
Narrated by: Suehyla El Attar
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Editorial reviews

Hamilton Wright Mabie adapted these much-loved stories from ancient mythology and recreated them for children in a way that feels as though they're being shared by a wise old grandparent. Narrator Suehyla El-Attar enhances the traditional storytelling experience with her performance, using her rich, mature voice in a subtly conversational way. Children will love the sense of wonder she brings, and it feels as though she is speaking directly to the audience as her voice rises and falls with the adventures of mythological figures such as Hercules, Proserpina, Odin, and many others.

Publisher's summary

Compiled by American essayist, editor, critic, and lecturer Hamilton Wright Mabie, here is a fantastic collection of classic legends from ancient mythology, The classical work of Hawthorne has been generously drawn upon. Included are "Three Golden Apples"; "Pomegranate Seeds"; "Chimera"; "Golden Touch"; "Gorgon's Head"; "Dragon's Teeth"; "Miraculous Pitcher"; "Paradise of Children"; "Cyclops"; "Argonauts"; "Giant Builder"; "How Odin Lost His Eye"; "Quest of the Hammer"; "Apples of Idun"; "Death of Balder"; and "Star and the Lily".

Public Domain (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

What listeners say about Myths That Every Child Should Know

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Terrific narration good choice of myths

Currently this book is being played for the third time. It's unanimous - liked by kids and adults. The narrator is a delight!
Now that the children are a little older, they're able to sit quietly for longer stretches of time - this is the kind of "chapter book" they enjoy. This coming summer we'll be taking some fairly long car trips. This collection is one I'll be pleased to have along.

Only one negative - at times too much new vocabulary especially when there are so many unfamiliar names and places. This is one book we'll not be able to listen to straight through. At least not until the myths are understood and known.


I rated it three stars for story
because there is sooo much new vocabulary in some of the myths. Well-chosen story perhaps but we almost lose the story in finding out the meaning of new words. In "Joseph and The Golden Fleece" for example, the sentence just played had five vocabulary words. One sentence five new words - that's a lot to expect for the kids! Given unfamiliar names and places even the adults can lose the story.

Really enjoyed this collection but would choose easier versions of the story.

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16 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

C'mon people, pronounciaction!

This is DISGRACEFUL! Gross mispronunciations! Chapter 2- Pluto kidnaps Persephone, (per-SEF-a-nee) NOT per-SERP-a-nuh. All through the myth! Per-SERP-a-nuh! Over and over!

Some other gross error in Chapter 1 too. Not bothering with any of the rest of it.

Who directs these things?! Do 5 minutes of research!!! The poor reader!

Scripts of Chapters 1&2 were fine, but jeeze... you just can't get past the pronounciaction!

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13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Interesting stories. Pretentious writing

The author uses words like "hither" and "thither," for no apparent reason. If he's trying to impress someone with that, it just doesn't work--and this is a book for kids? The author lost all credibility for me by writing that someone "ejaculated" words at someone. What's wrong with using "said" or "yelled" instead?

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

good

good but some of the Greek and Roman myths weren't accurate I know cause I have studied Greek and Roman myths

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Interesting

I do not think today's youth would know these old stories...Thor and Loki? Yes. Jason and the Argo and gold fleece? No. I liked the narrators voice. Stories were interesting.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

I enjoy this audiobook very much

I love Greek mythology and this audiobook has some story’s in it that I have never herd before!

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great

Loved it great book yay yay jazzy Galway Gaza say Gaza away Gaza a

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

It’s okay, I’m not a HUGE fan of it though.

This book os okay. Not one of my total favorites to listen to. I love fairytales, but these ones, how they were told weren’t really ones I liked. It is an okay book, but I think it could’ve been done better than how it is.
At times the reader would be super dramatic, but then right after, she’d say the words in a subtle way, and I didn’t really like it. Her voice is soothing, but when more into the book.

Then also the stories are so long! The first tale takes almost an hour! The poor narrator!
I do still listen to this book, though again, not one o’ my total favorites.
If i were to recommend this book to anyone, it’d be someone who loves fairytales told in this way.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Not For Children - Too Wordy

This was first published in 1915. The writing is typical of that time and would be read by parents or young teen of that time. The stories are also "cleaned up" and include Roman, Greek and Norse myths. Roman Gods have Roman pronunciation, Greek Gods have Greek pronunciation and Norse Gods have Norse.

Narration was excellent.

However, today, each myth would be considered too long, wordy, and has too many words children (as well as few adults) would not know. (I got bored and I enjoy Victorian/Edwardian novels.) There is no "who's who" of the gods, which makes it difficult to know all the heros around the main character an example Orpheus in the story of Jason. Actually the stories of the Norse myths are short and to the point, but still written in the style of 1915. It would not hold the interest of children today. Many have seen the movies, Jason and the Argonauts, Clash of The Titans, Hercules, Thor, etc. Look for stories and collections published today to read to or have the children read.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

some stories shouldn't be altered

I understand that many who read books think that doing voices makes it more interesting however, the way they are done in this one is way over the top. normal I could just be on my merry way and forget that but then they go and alter the stories so badly that i was over halfway through them before I realized what story/myth they were actually telling. for example Pluto is a god and was demoted to king but Pluto had no intentions of returning her. she was forced to then spend half the year in the underworld because she ate the pomegranate. the story of callithyia wasn't about a child but a women who found her self in the cross hairs of hera after attracting the attention of Zeus. not about a child kidnapped by a white bull. I get you don't want the "horrors" of these stories to touch young children but to change them so much like this destroys the original message.

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