Discovering Mythology - Monsters

By Don Nardo

Because they had not yet developed the scientific means and knowledge to map and explain the world, the ancients were afraid of what might be lurking in the dark, under the ground, or in uncharted lands or seas. So they envisioned a host of monsters -- giants, demons, dragons, shape-shifters, and the like -- inhabiting these places. Both educational and entertaining, this volume explores monster myths from a wide range of world cultures.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1560068531
• ISBN13: 9781560068532
• Release Date: July 2001
• Publisher: Lucent Books
• Length: 112 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.5" x 0.5" x 7.5"
• Age Range: 10 to 14 years
• Grade Range: Grades 5 to 9

Customer Reviews

I highly recommend this great book!

This book is part of the five-book series, Discovering Mythology, which presents the myths of many cultures, condensed and illuminated for the younger reader. In this book that prodigious author Don Nardo looks at the different monster stories of Greece, Persia, India, Africa, Scandinavia, and the Natives of North America. Each of the stories presented (and there are quite a few for each of the cultures) is told in its totality, but wonderfully condensed to allow the reader to digest the story quickly. Along the way, the reader is treated to many wonderful black-and-white illustrations, secondary source quotes, and interesting sidebars. I must admit that this book quite surprised me with its excellence. Though it was written for the younger reader, in fact this book make an excellent resource for any reader. I was enthralled by the author's retelling of Persian and Indian stories, while he brought the Scandinavian stories back to life for me in a new way. Also, I must say that I really enjoyed his African stories - too many other resources I have seen seem to want to focus in on Haitian or Cuban magic and stories. So, if you want a quick read, full of many different monsters from around the world, then this book is for you! I highly recommend this great book!

really fasinating

I loved this book. I have read the author's other mythology books and they were excellent too, but this one was the best. I especially like the introduction, in which he explains how today we create our own mythical monsters, like King King and Godzilla, just like ancient peoples had snake-haired women and flying dragons, etc. Nardo really makes the monsters and the heroes who kill them come to life.