Indian Mythology Japanese Mythology Mayan and Aztec Mythology Middle Eastern Mythology

Gr 5—7—Despite the strange choice of anime and high-fantasy-style cover art, these books offer solid introductions to the stories, cultures, and gods and goddesses of four regions. Ollhoff writes in a clear and engaging fashion, presenting complex issues in a way that will be easy for youngsters to grasp. He is sensitive to the continuing impact of the stories on modern cultures, in the case of Japan, India, and Mexico and Central America, never presenting the legends as exclusively relics of the past. Middle Eastern Mythology, on the other hand, covers a wide range of Mesopotamian and Canaanite legends and stories that are presented as tales from long ago; there is only one mention of the Hebrews as a tribe, and any additional information about Jewish legend and culture is presumably left for another entry in the series. The photographs and reproductions of art tie directly into the texts; the short biographies of various gods in each book will be helpful to beginners. Strong additions.—Alana Joli Abbott, formerly at James Blackstone Memorial Library, Branford, CT