Argos

February 15, 2016
The epic tale of The Odyssey is told from the point of view of Odysseus' faithful dog, Argos. Argos is left behind on the island of Ithaka to protect Odysseus' wife, Penelope, and infant son, Telemachos. Over the 20 years of his master's absence, he pieces together Odysseus' quest to return home via reports from various animals that visit the island. Sea turtles, ravens, gulls, and even a nasty stray cat all relate the stories of the cyclops, Calypso, and the sirens to the faithful dog. However, even as he yearns for Odysseus' return, Argos must fulfill his charge. As he finds ways to thwart Penelope's devious suitors, Telemachos' unscrupulous tutor, and a violent pack of wolves, Argos also finds time to fall in love. While Argos is noble and his view of his family is intriguing, the device that finds Argos and readers receiving the unarguably epic events second- and thirdhand is problematic. Dark magic, fantastic creatures, and god-sized temper tantrums lose their energy in this disjointed telling. Only the events in which Argos is physically present compel. An unfortunate choice of narration robs this epic tale of its power. (Fantasy. 8-12)

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March 1, 2016

Gr 4-7-In this retelling of the ancient tale, the narrator is Argos, Odysseus's dog, left behind on Ithaka. The only way Argos can learn of his master's travels is to "talk" to the birds and other animals that have left the island. Argos speaks to gulls, owls, ravens, plovers, and others to find out the fate of Odysseus. The story follows the classic tale and uses the Greek names for characters and places. Readers learn of Odysseus's visits to Circe and his interactions with the Cyclops and the Sirens, as well as the suitors who hound Penelope, Odysseus's wife. Readers hear, too, of how Argos finds a mate and how his legacy is carried forth by one of his progeny. The prose is written in a style that reflects the ancient Greek origins of the story rather than contemporary speech patterns. Unfortunately, there is no glossary or pronunciation guide, which would be a big help to the target audience. VERDICT Hand this one to die-hard readers of the "Percy Jackson" series who are looking for a more traditional rendition of the Greek tales.-Elizabeth Kahn, Patrick F. Taylor Science & Technology Academy, Avondale, LA

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