Norse Myths: Tales of Odin, Thor, and Loki by Kevin Crossley-Holland (review)

Crossley-Holland"s stunning collection of Norse myths is gold for storytellers, educators, and Norse enthusiasts. A list of gods and goddesses, dwarfs and giants, and a map helpfully begin the book, and from there nearly twenty myths explore the Norse world. While much of the focus is, as the title suggests, on Thor, Odin, and Loki, there"s plenty else going on here, including several tales significantly centering on the actions of a female goddess or giant. The formal tone is occasionally punctuated with some tongue-in-cheek humor, creating a balance between the stories" epicness and charm and allowing storytellers to choose which elements to amp up in their own telling. Love"s two-color acrylic and ink illustrations are strikingly dramatic, with dense shading and jagged edges that suggest block prints; white space is used to great effects as figures are often portrayed in silhouette while scale and perspective move with the intensity of the stories. Each tale is subheaded with the moral lesson of the story, framing it readily for easy selection for telling, and though the collection overall follows the trajectory of Asgard from birth to demise, the individual myths are compelling in their own right. This is a must have for storytellers and certainly a valuable classroom resource to begin units on mythology and culture; however you"re using it, make sure students and listeners get a chance to view the gorgeous artwork. A glossary is appended.