D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths

First published in 1962 and continuously in print ever since, D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths is the book most classical homeschool programs reach for when it is time to introduce the Greek gods. Ingri and Edgar Parin d'Aulaire retell the myths of Zeus, Hera, Athena, Apollo, Persephone, and the mortal heroes in short, self-contained chapters, each paired with the large stone-lithograph illustrations that gave the book its distinctive look.

The structure is what makes it so usable at home. The book opens with the Titans and the birth of the Olympians, moves god by god through the Olympian family, and then turns to the heroes and their quests. Because each entry stands on its own, a family can read one myth a day without losing the thread, or work straight through as a survey. Chapters run two to six pages, which suits a read-aloud with mixed ages sitting around the table.

Parents typically use it in grades 3 through 6, either as a spine for an ancient-Greece unit or as the literature strand running alongside a chronological history program. It is a common companion to ancient-history curricula, and it pairs naturally with prose retellings of Homer for students who are ready to move from the myths to the epics themselves.

A few practical notes. The myths are told with their original content intact, including the violence and the complicated family relationships of the Olympians; the d'Aulaires handle this with restraint, but parents of sensitive younger readers often preview a chapter first. The vocabulary is richer than the picture-book format suggests, which is part of why it works as a read-aloud above its apparent reading level. The extensive index and the genealogy chart at the back turn it into a reference the student keeps returning to for years.

Published by Penguin Random House.