Storybook Favorites

Zeus's Ex-Lovers

Okay, I've got to admit, I may be a little biased. I love Greek mythology! I also happen to be a feminist. Zeus's Ex-Lovers is a retelling of Zeus's affair with Aphrodite. However, in this version, the author gives it a feminist take by changing the classic Hera-curses-innocent-mistress scenario by having Hera team up with "the other woman" aka "Aphrodite" and taking her anger out on Zeus.

The Women of Hercules

The Women of Hercules is a retelling of the legend of the great hero Hercules. This version is unique because it is told from the point of view of three significant women in Hercules' life. One thing I noticed that I think the author did particularly well was the creation of the setting. This storybook is set up to make the reader feel like they are watching (or reading the transcript of) a talk show. The author uses details in the setting to build this atmosphere. Some such details are the cues for the host and the reactions of the audience. The author also gives their writing a sense of modernity and casualness by having the characters speak with modern vernacular. One example of this is when the word "tea" is used to refer to gossip.  Overall, I enjoyed reading this storybook and I think the author did a fantastic job.

The Untold Stories of Spongebob

As a longtime Spongebob fan, the title of this storybook immediately piqued my interest. I wasn't quite sure what to expect. What kind of untold stories are we talking about? The setup of the storybook is really nice because it provides the reader with an introduction that lets us know what this storybook is actually about. It also gives the reader a sense of the mood. In the first paragraph, there is a joke about how Spongebob feels like his life is a movie. I found this very appropriate since Spongebob is a comedic tv show. The storybook is separated into three different diary entries. Each entry is based on a different fable or short story. The author does an excellent job of tying the different stories together while also keeping the morals of the original stories. 


All three of the storybooks I read were unique and had different strengths and weaknesses. I enjoyed reading each one and I learned a lot. 


Comments

  1. SpencerKunzJanuary 17, 2019 at 8:19 AM

    Hey, Ann!

    These are some really intriguing ideas for possible storybooks. I especially like the idea of retelling Greek mythology from the point of view of women and other characters that we normally don't get to hear from. I think that you could do some really neat stuff with your own project if you picked characters who DON'T get the spotlight in popular folktales and then spun events into their perspective -- it might give us something to think about!

    ReplyDelete

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