The Encyclopedia of Epic Myths and Legends

Really informative, easy to follow and find the myths and lore. I love all the artistic elements as well.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an E-ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. I really loved this book. In general I love myths and legends so was excited about the concept. I felt like Kaplan did a good job at trying to vary the stories from different countries and cultures. Of course many were missed but I do believe that this book is a good stepping stone for people to begin their journey. I really loved how this book was presented. I thought the font style, colouring, and illustrations all worked super well together and made it an enjoyable read. I also appreciated how Kaplan went into more detail with certain stories making note of how the story has changed through different pop culture moments such as Percy Jackson, Lord of the Rings, and What We Do In The Shadows. I would wholeheartedly recommend this!

I read this courtesy Net Galley and Wellfleet Press. Myths and legends are all around us! Arie Kaplan’s book tells us that we can find reminders of those stories from everywhere around the world, ranging from the planets named after the Roman gods (Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, et al.) to Greek Nike and Achilles (of heel fame) to Hermes, whose image represents a particular floral delivery service and whose name inspired a way to make sure your seal is securely closed, to Osun, the Yoruba goddess of love, who is referenced by Beyonce in her music. And there’s more, much more, not just gods. Kaplan talks about Bigfoot (aka Sasquatch) and its origins, the differences between myths and religions (a notable distinction), why societies create myths, and even goes into smaller-detailed myths like the tooth fairy. So many myths, so many legends. This is an enjoyable read and instructional, too.
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This encyclopedia is so cool. I absolutely love learning and myths and legends to begin with but the detail and ease of reading is amazing. I love the colors and illustrations. The set up is perfect and I can easily read the stories and flip through to find one to learn about. I come from Greek heritage so that God's chapter was my favorite to read, short simple stories with the perfect amount of details! I would read another book like this in a heartbeat.

5⭐️/5
This is a book that I'd gift my children and grand-children. It's that good. The book is an inkling into the world of myths and folktales. It delves into myths from across the world from roman, greek myths to Egyptian, Japanese and South American tales. The common fabric that binds all the myths is captivating. It begins with myths about the creation of the universe and moves into stories of heroes and monsters. Every story leaves the reader wonderstruck and wanting to know more. The stories of heroes like Chi Li is awe-inspiring and teeming with bravery, courage and sinew. I'd highly recommend this book for those who love good stories and are curious about the universe.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. These opinions are completely my own.

An encyclopedia with a sense of humor always helps me retain the information it hold. I enjoyed reading the comparisons of the beginings and learned about tons of mythical characters I've heard in passing, but did not know their backroom.

Very interesting book

Love this and would recommend! The layout, Illustrations, and typography make this such an eye catching book. I found it really interesting to read and full of information that I'd never know.

This book is very educational and entertaining at the same time. I really enjoyed the artist renderings with the different sections.

Finally, a good kid friendly mythology book that does it by not watering everything down to nothing, but by putting it in accessible language and making interesting connections. It's also incredibly diverse, covering the classic Greek and Egyptian myths, along side pantheons as widespread as the Inca empire to Japan, making stops across Africa and Asia. It also does a really good job explaining the concepts surrounding myths and the historical context. It's very well done. I may get a copy or five for my mythology classes.

This is a fantastic book to gift to anyone who is interested in mythology and folklore. As a child I would have eaten this one UP!
Instead of focusing on just pantheon / country this book gives a wide overview which I appreciate a lot. Another aspect that I find interesting and think makes this encyclopedia quite unique are the parts where the author goes into the definition and creation of myths, why they are created and what purpose they serve.
Every chapter / story is engaging and leaves the reader in awe.

In my opinion this should be included into general education, as it is both extremely educational as well as entertaining. Everyone would gain a lot from reading this book and thus learning more about other countries and their myths, legends and folklore.