wee classics

Horsing Around in Troy!

We’re heading back to the world of Greek mythology! Given how well the last British Museum/Nosy Crow book went down, we decided it was time to tackle The Legend of Troy by Goldie Hawk and Esther Aarts. I picked this up when I took my students to see Troy: Myth and Reality at the British Museum last year – hard to believe that was my last trip/train ride anywhere. The book is based on the exhibition, and happily goes far beyond the usual highlights of the Trojan War story to introduce younger readers to the many questions which arise when we investigate the past. There’s still plenty of horse, though!

Ancient Egypt.. Underwater!

We’re in the middle of a big Octonauts phase, thanks to the particularly catchy Great Barrier Reef special on Netflix. Lots of singing about Pirate Pie, and lots of interest in all things sea-based – so it seemed like a good opportunity to try out Secret Treasures of Ancient Egypt by Kate Sparrow and Esther Aarts. This is one of the many fab books published by the British Museum and Nosy Crow, and is based on the BM’s 2016 exhibition Sunken Cities: Egypt’s Lost Worlds.

A-maze-ing Myths!

This book is unreal!! When I ordered Greek Myths and Mazes illustrated by Jan Bajtlik for H I had no idea how big it was going to be – at 37ish x 27ishcm, it is HUGE! And a good thing, because the mazes are absolutely mesmerising: beautifully drawn, with intricate details and winding paths. There’s a great mix of the familiar – Trojan War, Minotaur in his labyrinth, Odysseus’ adventures – with some lesser-seen stories like Prometheus, Hephaestus’ Forge, and the Greek creation myth. There’s even some history thrown in too, from the Palace of Knossos (c.20th-14th centuries BC) to a range of 5th/4th century BC topics like the Olympics, the Acropolis, the theatre and houses.