2018
First Published
3.75
Average Rating
128
Number of Pages
The Vikings were warlike adventurers with a strong sense of justice, and the high drama of their myths and legends, retold through the centuries, are still as vivid and enduring today. The stories are full of excitement and encompass both broad comedy and heart-rending tragedy. At the centre of the stories are the thunder god Thor, and the frost giant, Loki, Odin’s foster brother, who becomes one of the gods but is never fully accepted by them. Through the tales the themes of love, betrayal, courage and compassion are played out from the dawn of time to the end of the world. Their stories are among the foundation stones of Western culture, and young readers will enjoy these highly accessible retelling of the Norse myths, with stories about the adventures of Odin, father of the gods and his children, the trials and tribulations of the trickster Loki, the rages of the thunder god Thor, and Freya, the goddess of fertility, magic and war who gathers the souls of the warriors slain in battle. Ideal to read aloud or for older readers to enjoy discovering by themselves, artist Maryclare Foa’s bold, eloquent paintings capture the excitement, humour and drama of these powerful stories in strong, simple images that linger in the mind.
Avg Rating
3.75
Number of Ratings
4
5 STARS
0%
4 STARS
75%
3 STARS
25%
2 STARS
0%
1 STARS
0%
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Author
Neil Philip
Author · 35 books
Neil Philip is a writer, folklorist and poet. He is married to the artist Emma Bradford, and lives in the Cotswolds, England. Neil loves words, poetry, and the art of storytelling in all its forms. Among his many books are A Fine Anger, Victorian Village Life, The Cinderella Story, The Penguin Book of English Folktales, Mythology (with Philip Wilkinson), The Great Mystery, War and the Pity of War, The New Oxford Book of Childrens Verse, The Tale of Sir Gawain, Horse Hooves & Chicken Feet, and The Adventures of Odysseus. Neil has contributed to numerous journals, including The Times, and Signal: Approaches to Childrens Books, and has also written for stage, screen, and radio. His work has won numerous awards and honours, including the Aesop Award of the American Folklore Society and the Literary Criticism Book Award of the Childrens Literature Association. Outside of the storied world, Neil is passionate about cats, art, music, France, food & wine, and friendship.
