Carmen Gil, one of Spain’s most prolific children’s poets, turns her hand to a toddler’s version of the Odyssey. She wisely does not try to retell every episode, but instead provides a series of short four-line stanzas of rhyming couplets covering the most famous episodes of the epic. She has clear favorites: the story of Circe turning Odysseus’ men into pigs and Penelope’s clever management of los pretendientes receive several stanzas, while the poor Cyclops only gets one. The book’s colorful images help to tell the overarching story and will make for great conversation starters to keep the book interesting across many re-reads. While most board books written for toddlers will of necessity be read out loud, adults will especially enjoy reading this book aloud. Gil’s poetry is particularly delightful recite. It can prove a challenge to readers because Gil favors unusual vocabulary that sounds interesting. The tradeoff is worth it for the poetry, though. Even in my poor Spanish with my terrible midwestern accent, the text was delectable to speak and to hear. The Homeric epics are always delightful, but there is something special about hearing the ancient verse transformed into modern poetry by a master. – Krishni Burns