Treasury of Norse Mythology

November 1, 2015
Grades 4-8 This large-format companion volume to Treasury of Greek Mythology (2011) and Treasury of Egyptian Mythology (2013) presents Norse mythology. Napoli offers a well-told, episodic narrative featuring Norse gods and giants from creation to Ragnarok. Kids who discover the appended, illustrated cast of characters early will find it a helpful guide. In the illustrations, which are stylized, formally composed, and full of dramatic energy, Balit uses subdued colors very effectively. Sidebars provide information on matters such as the lands and cultures where Norse myths originated and how story elements relate to myths from other cultures. Following a general introduction, the Note on Norse Names is confusing on matters such as nominative case-marking final r's, but young readers will probably skip it to get to the action. In the appended notes, Napoli explains how she dealt with multiple sources giving different accounts of events and characters. With the first volume of Rick Riordan's Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series just released, Napoli and Balit's new mythology treasury is particularly welcome.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)