Book List for Myths and Legends from Around the World

Myths and legends are stories, often passed down orally, that form the backdrop to many childhoods. Tales of seismic events and personified elemental forces that once upon a time violently shaped the foundations of our universe, told to children often by evening bedsides and under soft lamp light. 
 
These tales reveal for us the epic journeys, romances, battles and moral dilemmas of gods, heroes and monsters from which we can reflect on our own values and learn about the ethical and cosmological norms from eons past.  Myths and legends are often rooted in a country’s early history and mark the blurry boundary between fact and fantasy, historical figures and literary archetypes. These stories form an essential part of a child’s education, and this is why we have included so many in the Literary Curriculum. 
 
Michael Morpurgo, who has expertly retold so many of these stories, has spoken about his fascination with capturing mythical characters “on the cusp of history” such as Joan of Arc and Robin Hood. He is a towering figure in the reimagining of these tales and we particularly love his versions of Beowulf, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and the Pied Piper of Hamelin. 
 
In this list, we have also included a range of stories from the far-flung corners of Britain. The Red Sun by Alane Adams takes us on a Viking adventure – akin to the Percy Jackson series – to Orkney, whilst Charles Causley’s Mermaid of Zennor takes us to the magical skerries of Cornwall. 
 
Our list also contains collections of stories from around the world. Thiago de Moraes’ Myth Atlas is a visual and comprehensive exploration of the geography of myth. The Usborne Illustrated Stories from China and India are wonderfully rich collections as is J.K Jackson’s African Myths and Legends. 
 
In recent years visually arresting retellings of these classic legends have been published; Mythologica by Dr. Stephen P. Kershaw is such a text. The mixed-media illustrations by Victoria Topping of Greek gods, monsters and heroes feels vibrant and modern. Gillian Cross’ brilliant retellings of The Iliad and The Odyssey are colourfully illustrated by Neil Packer whose illustrations are like ancient reliefs in technicolour. We have also included some graphic novel versions, such as Sunjata, Warrior King of Mali by Justine and Ron Fontes and Beowulf by Stern. 
 
This list is by no means exhaustive, but we do hope there is something here for everyone. 
 

Posted in: Book Lists