Ludicrous Legends is a hilarious new junior fiction series that reimagines myths in a fun way for early readers, 7 to 10 years old.
Hector and his best friend, a centaur named Hylo, are about to be tested on Greek mythology by their teacher Mr Socrates. Join them as they come to grips with the mighty Minotaur, the famous Trojan Horse/Cow, and the terrifying Medusa whose snake-hair is definitely not keen on a haircut.
A ludicrous, light-hearted and very loose retelling of three classical legends.---from the publisher
112 pages 9781460767719 Ages 7-10
Keywords: graphic novel, mythology, myths and legends, humor, Greek mythology, mythical creatures, fun, retelling, 7 year old, 8 year old, 9 year old, 10 year old
Also in this series; Ludicrous Legends Myths Meet Mayhem
Editor's note: Available as a print format in Australia; Audiobook elsewhere
*****
Other reviews:
Hector is studying for an upcoming test about the legends of Ancient Greece, something that fascinates him as his hero is Heracles, and he dreams of completing his own version of the Twelve Labours in the future. But his best friend Hylo, a centaur, has not done her preparation as well, and so Hector sets out to give her a crash course in what is likely to be included - the Trojan Horse(which Hylo contends would have been a cow), the Minotaur, Medusa and an assortment of other characters and creatures.
Subtitled "Myths with a Twist", Temple and Conley have combined narrative and graphic novel formats to introduce young readers to a handful of stories that continue to be handed down through generations that might seem somewhat crusty and dusty in today's world but which actually form the basis of the current fascination with fantasy adventure.
In the same way that 30 years ago, the highly successful Horrible Histories series opened up history to their parents sparking an interest in people, places and events that had previously induced yawns and rolled eyes, this has the potential to unlock a host of new stories and new adventures told 2500 years ago that could be compared to the stories they are reading today and links between them made, such as Fluffy the three-headed dog who guards the trapdoor to the philosopher's stone in the first Harry Potter story and Cerberus who guarded the entrance to the underworld in Greek mythology.
By seamlessly weaving Hector's story with the comic format of the myths, readers can follow the characters and action easily with much being expressed in visual format and jokes offering a light-hearted, fast-paced read that makes the traditional stories accessible to a wider range of readers but with the potential to open up so much more. Perhaps it is time to build a display around the 292 section of the non fiction collection and encourage students to examine the characters and features of those they encounter in modern fantasy to see if their origins are rooted in the stories of long ago, particularly as this is just the first in the series and, apart from other stories from Greece, there are many other civilisations such as Roman and Norse, each with their own literary heritage.
This review can also be found here.
Recommended by: Barbara Braxton, Teacher Librarian, New South Wales AUSTRALIA
See more of her recommendations:
500 Hats http://500hats.edublogs.org/
The Bottom Shelf http://thebottomshelf.edublogs.org/
