Book Review of Treasury of Norse Mythology

Reading about Thor just got real!!


Title:  Treasury of Norse Mythology
Author:   Donna Jo Napoli
Illustrations:  Christina Balit
Publisher:  National Geographic
ISBN:  9781426320989

Review:

The Treasury of Norse Mythology is filled with stories about gods, goddesses, trolls and giants. The territory of Norway and Iceland had mountains, volcanoes and parts that were barren. The Norse people explored and exploited other worlds. Stories of Norse myths stem from around 1180 A.D. Around 1225 an Icelander named Snorri created a major work called Snorra Edda or Prose Edda. Most stories of Norse mythology are based from Snorri’s work.

Readers of all ages will enjoy reading about the frost giants, Thor, Loki Skadi and Njord. Readers will see the myths unfold and also be able to read snippets about real Norse culture. There are sections covering the gods, Odin’s Quest, Loki’s children, Thor’s hammer and Freyja’s shame. Readers will find, even with all of the caos, Kvasir’s Enduring Poetry. During this time, poetry was an important part of life which shared Norse historical facts.

This giant treasure has tales, fact boxes with historical and cultural context. There is a guide for the Norse alphabet and names, a map of Scandinavia and the sea voyages of the Vikings and other resources for readers to learn more. This treasury has beautifully illustrated images by Christina Balit which depict the battles of these engaging stories of love, war, and magic in stunning geometric shapes and brilliant colors. This tool can be shared at home, in a classroom or anywhere.

Courtesy of Media Masters Publicity


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