Publisher Description
Read by Paul Newman, Sidney Poitier, Kathleen Turner, and Matthew Broderick
Here are the immortals of Olympus—the gods and goddesses of ancient Greece—as freshly described as if they were alive today.
Mighty Zeus with his fistful of thunderbolts; mischievous little Hermes; grey-eyed Athena, godess of wisdom; Asclepius, the first physician; Orpheus and his beloved Euridice; Helios the sun, crossing the heavens in his fiery chariot. . . these and other equally fabulous figures are featured here with their heroic deeds and petty squabbles illuminated in full dimension.
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For any child fortunate enough to have this generous book . . . the kings and heroes of ancient legend will remain forever matter-of-fact; the pictures interpret the text literally and are full of detail and witty observation.
—
The Horn Book
About the Authors
Ingri d’Aulaire (1904-1980) was a Norwegian-American
portrait painter, illustrator, and children’s book author. She met her husband,
Edgar Parin d’Aulaire at art school in Paris, and together they went on to
write and illustrate twenty-seven picture books. In 1940 they received the
Caldecott Medal for Abraham Lincoln,
and in 1973 d’Aulaires’ Trolls was a
National Book Award finalist.
Edgar Parin d’Aulaire (1898-1986) was born in Munich,
Germany to the noted Italian portrait Painter Gino Parin and Ella Auler. He studied
under Henri Matisse and painted murals in France and Norway, and had
exhibitions in Paris, Berlin, and Oslo. From 1922 to 1926 he illustrated
numerous books in Germany. In 1929 he and his wife, Ingri, moved to the United
States, where they went on to collaborate on twenty-seven picture books. They
won the Caldecott Medal in 1940 for Abraham
Lincoln, and were finalists for the National Book Award in 1973 for d’Aulaire’s Trolls.
About the Narrators
Paul Newman (1925–2008) was an award-winning actor and director. His major film roles include The Hustler, Hud, Harper, Cool Hand Luke, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting, The Verdict, Mr. and Mrs. Bridge, Nobody's Fool, The Road to Perdition, and the voice role of Doc Hudson in Disney-Pixar's Cars. Ten-time Oscar nominee, Newman won an Academy Award for Best Actor for The Color of Money. Newman won several national championships as a race car driver. A political activist and humanitarian, he raised and donated nearly one billion dollars to many charities. Newman had six children and was married to Oscar-winning actress Joanne Woodward for fifty years.
Sidney Poitier (1927—2022) was the first black actor to win the Academy Award for best actor for his outstanding performance in Lilies of the Field in 1963. His landmark films include The Defiant Ones, A Patch of Blue, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, and To Sir, With Love. He starred in over forty films, directed nine, and wrote four. He is the author of two autobiographies: This Life and an Oprah’s Book Club pick and New York Times bestseller The Measure of a Man. Among his many other accolades, he was awarded the Screen Actors Guild’s highest honor, the Life Achievement Award, for an outstanding career and humanitarian accomplishment.
Kathleen Turner is an award-winning actress who has starred in over twenty-five films including Prizzi’s Honor, Romancing the Stone, and The War of the Roses, along with twelve Broadway shows including The Graduate and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. She is active in Planned Parenthood, People for the American Way, and City Meals on Wheels. She lives in New York City.