This collection of children’s myths is large in its scope (it contains thirty-one Greek and Roman myths, in addition to myths of the Northland, Celts, France, Spain, Egypt, Persia, India, China, Japan, Russia, Polynesia, Africa, Native American tales, and tales of American folklore), as well as its physical size: it is a hearty 10” by 11”.  Art Seiden’s mid-century line drawings make good use of the space allotted: the illustrations wrap around the story, from the verso to recto side.  The effect is quite striking.  When opened on the reader’s lap, the story is visually engrossing and bold, sweeping across both open pages.  The writing of the stories is commendable.  The stories have a higher vocabulary range than most children’s stories.  What the stories lack, however, is whimsy; for whatever reason, the storytelling does not seem to draw in little children, although older children read and re-read this book repeatedly, without complaint.  The Greek and Roman myths also contain tales often omitted from anthologies (like the story of Pygmalion and Galatea) or commonly omitted details of stories (e.g., Hercules killing his own children in a fit of madness.)  This book is enjoyable to a range of readers: toddlers love the size of the book and enormous pictures (my three-year old carried this book around for days, staring at the illustrations), while teenagers appreciate the sophisticated art and the language. -- Sarah Klitenic Wear