By Ruth Ahmedzai Kemp

The Adventures of Odysseus: A Graphic Novel of The Odyssey

I’m sure many under-15 mythology-lovers were disappointed that the new Christopher Nolan adaptation was released with a restrictive age certificate, and presumably a bit too much violence. Instead of sneaking in undercover like Odysseus and his men sneaking past the Cyclops (bound to the underside of a sheep), spend the price of the cinema ticket on this awesome, under-15s friendly graphic novel adaptation instead! You can’t entirely edit out the grizzly bits – there’s always going to be horror and blood no matter how you present the trials of Odysseus – but there’s humour and beauty here too. And a timeless way with words, such as the emotion with which Telemachus is overcome upon realising the man before him is his long-lost father, Odysseus: “Father and son embraced once more. They mourned like birds whose chicks were stolen before they learned to fly.”

If you’ve had even half an eye on global kid lit in recent years, you’ll recognise Mariana Ruiz Johnson’s irresistible illustration style, and while we’re fans of many of her books, this is the best yet.

East Asian Folktales, Myths and Legends

Sumptuously penned, these tales take us through centuries of ritual and storytelling, covering folklore and legends from China, Japan, Vietnam and Korea, and the diaspora communities that have taken these traditions around the world. Narrating the origins of the heavens and earth, from Pangu the Giant Creator and Shennong, the Divine Farmer, through the stories behind well-known festivals such as Quyuan and the Dragon Boat Festival, Nian the New-Year monster, and Chang’e, Houyi and mooncakes of the Mid-Autumn Festivals. Continuing with Animal Tales, Tales of the Good, Wise and Brave, and Ancient Love Stories, Wong Nava’s versions are rich with comic moments, adventure and suspense, warm characters, and enjoyable dialogue, with further historical context, and notes about how different versions of the tale vary, in the very readable and fascinating introductions to each chapter.

Myths: Tales and Characters from Around the World

Fitting perfectly with our #AroundtheWorldin10 theme for World Kid Lit Month this year, the visually stunning, large-format Myths opens with a contents page in the form of a world map, inviting us to explore a globe of stories and traditions. In fact, we’re introduced to 14 regions of the globe, from Inuit, Native American and Mesoamerican cultures in the Americas, via Berber, Roman, Greek and Egyptian in the Mediterranean, Bantu traditions in southern Africa, Celtic, Nordic and Slavic legends in the northern Europe, and Chinese, Hindu and Japanese myths, legends and traditions in Asia. The lack of Maori or Aboriginal traditions is a shame, but what is covered here is impressive and with a restricted palette of just red, black, pink and gold, each double page spread bursts with life and a strong visual aesthetic. At first my son and I found the layout a little confusing as the illustrations of characters and objects aren’t positioned next to the associated text; but once you read more closely and go looking for the matching illustration, it becomes a more immersive read than a more traditional non-fiction text might be.

About Ruth

Ruth Ahmedzai Kemp is an Arabic, German and Russian teacher, and a literary translator working from these languages into English. She is a passionate advocate of diversity and representation in education and in children’s publishing, and is managing director of World Kid Lit CIC, which aims to improve access to inclusive, global literature for young people. She also runs creative translation and multilingual creative writing workshops in schools together with the Stephen Spender Trust, Queens Translation Exchange, and World Kid Lit.

Support World Kid Lit!