Tales the Muses Told:
Ancient Greek Myths, selected and related by
Roger Lancelyn Green.
Henry Z. Walck, Inc. 1965.
Reviewed by Eliza Yetter.
This review is in the public domain and may be placed on other websites.
Tales the Muses Told is sadly out of print. However, it can still be bought used for under $10 (at the time of this review).
My children and I have read through numerous books on Greek mythology, and of all the myth collections, Tales the Muses Told is by far one of the best.
The myths are divided into five section.
Tales of Flowers: Narcissus, Clytie and the Sunflower, The First Anemones, and Hyacinthus.
Tales of Trees: Baucis and Philemon, Cyparissus, Daphne and Apollo, and Pyramus and Thisbe.
Tales of Birds and Beasts: Cygnus the Swan, Enalus and the Dolphins, The First of the Crows, and Melampus and Bias.
Tales of the Stars: The Two Bears, Erigone and Her Dog, The Flying Horse, and Orion and the Pleiades.
Great Lovers and True Friends: Admetus and Alcestis, Acontius and Cydippe, Hero and Leander, and Damon and Pythias.
The illustrations are few and they are in black and white. Young children looking for colorful pages will be disappointed.
Children from age ten on up will love the myths as they are.
This is a book to cherish for life.
Used copies can sometimes be found on Amazon.com.
You can also search Bookfinder.com for a copy.