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Title: The Children's Dictionary of Mythology (Reference, Children's Dictionary Series) by David Adams Leeming ISBN: 0-531-11708-1 Publisher: Franklin Watts Pub. Date: 01 September, 1999 Format: School & Library Binding Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $33.00

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Average Customer Rating: 4.5 (2 reviews)

Rating: 5
Summary: An introduction to the cross-cultural comparison of myths
Comment: Actually, "The Children's Dictionary of Mythology" is slightly more ambitious than what the title suggests. This volume is closer to an encyclopedia than a dictionary since many of the entries are several paragraphs long. The idea behind these 300+ entries is to invite cross-cultural comparisons: virtually ever culture represented has its creation myth detailed within these pages. This is intended as a general introduction to mythology, which is distinguished from religion by the editors. Judeo-Christianity is basically reduced to the creation story (i.e., Adam and Eve in the garden), while the rest of the entries cover not only Greek and Roman (i.e., classical) mythology, but ancient Egypt, Summeria, India, Japan, China, Australia, the South Pacific, Africa and the Americas.

In addition to the standard entries, stories about characters, such as Adventures of Theseus and the Journey of Pele, and important cultural myths, such as Cherokee Creation Myths and Incan Flood, are highlighted. These features appear in colored boxes near a character's alphabetical entry or close to the story's alphabetical order. Most of the entries are cross-referenced that will point young readers to related subjects discussed elsewhere in the book. Within these pages young readers will find elements from several mythological traditions. In addition to dozens of deities and characters, many of which you can readily find elsewhere, the strength of this book is it facilitates comparative mythological analysis by covering themes of mythology (Quest, Creation, Afterlife, Flood) and recurring places in mythology (City, Labyrinth, Underworld). "The Children's Dictionary of Mythology" also has entries on sources of mythological narratives from the "Epic of Gilgamesh" to the "Enuma Elish," and mythological events like the "Cattle Raid of Cooley" and "Jason and the Golden Fleece."

I do not think I would have been happier with this book if it had been a true dictionary, with two or three times the entries because none of them were more than a paragraph long. I am leaning at this point to wishing the book being organized by the themes it isolates, because that is were it makes the best case for cross-cultural comparisons. Still, with a little effort, teachers can put together those units on their own. The selected bibliography provides a list of books by culture for further information. For teachers putting together a mythology unit for younger students, this book is an ideal first place to look for not just information but also ideas.

Rating: 4
Summary: A visually striking reference work
Comment: Overall, I was favorably impressed by "The Children's Dictionary of Mythology," edited by David Adams Leeming. The book is full of entries from "Achilles" to "Zeus." It is an ambitiously multicultural work which includes the mythology of many regions: Africa, the Middle East, Australia, North America, the South Pacific, India, Japan, etc.

Each entry is a short, informative essay. Some entries, like "African Mythology" or "Animism," are general in nature, while others focus on specific deities, heroes or relevant cultural phenomena. Some sample entry topics are "Book of the Dead," "Coyote," "Dikithi" (a Bantu trickster), "Kali," "Lilith," "Quetzalcoatl," etc.

One of the book's strongest aspects is its rich assortment of full-color illustrations. There are many photographs of artwork of all types: a Hopi cloth, a sculpture of the serpent-headed Medusa, a stained-glass window depicting Sir Galahad, a knife handle carved to represent the trickster Raven, a wooden statue of the Chinese goddess Kuan Yin, Egyptian paintings, and much more.

A note to the reader declares, "Myths are sacred tales about gods, goddesses, heroes, and heroines." Thus I was puzzled by the book's failure to include many important figures from Jewish, Christian, and Islamic sacred narrative. Yes, "Adam" and "Eve" are included, but there are no articles on "Abraham," "Moses," "Jesus," "Mary," and others. Yet the editors include figures from other living religions, like Hinduism. Certainly, by the book's own definition of myth, the excluded figures merit entries. This selective process of inclusion and exclusion left me somewhat dissatisfied with the book. Despite its flaws, however, this book is an admirable reference work for young readers.