Description Out of print for many years, Norse Gods and Giants has been very handsomely reissued by the The New York Review Children’s Collection and retitled D’Aulaires’ Book of Norse Myths. Featuring a sturdy sewn binding, the book arguably represents the pinnacle of the D’Aulaires’ achievement as storytellers and artists. The prose seems livelier and more robust in the Norse myths than in the Greek. Their retelling of the Greek myths for children had to pull its punches somewhat, but since sex doesn’t feature as prominently in Norse mythology, this book is able to stay scrupulously faithful to the Edda and still maintain its PG rating. But not to worry: there’s still a lot of drinking, fighting and bad behavior, particularly on the part of fiery Thor, who is forever whacking frost giants on the head with his hammer, and the highly entertaining Loki, who is one of the most complicated and devious characters in anybody’s mythology, anywhere. Loki is the Bart Simpson of Norse mythology, forever pulling pranks, forever getting caught and forever talking his way out of the consequences. — The New York Times Book Review
