The+Odyssey+-+Courtesy+of+Andrea+Lipinsky,+New+York+Public+Library

HINDS, Gareth. The Odyssey. illus. by author. 248p. Candlewick. 2010. RTE $24.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-4266-2; pap. $14.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-4268-6. LC 2010007512. Gr 7 Up –Taking a world-famous epic poem and adapting it into a graphic-novel format for modern readers is certainly an enormous endeavor. But since Hinds already performed the same feat quite admirably with Beowulf (Candlewick, 2007) he has proven himself more than capable of the task. To sum up the classic story: Odysseus tries to get home after the Trojan War, but many obstacles are thrown in his way, and many people, creatures, and gods try to stop him. His men are loyal on the one hand, yet bad at following critical orders on the other, which results in even more delays. Meanwhile, his faithful wife Penelope waits for him while fending off scores of impatient suitors. Luckily for Odysseus, he does have a few supporters, including the goddess Athena. Hinds’s beautiful watercolors skillfully capture the rosy-fingered dawn, the wine-dark sea, the land of the dead, and many other settings and characters that will inspire readers. This adaptation goes far above and beyond the “highlights” coverage that other versions such as Tim Mucci’s The Odyssey (Sterling, 2010) provide. Hinds’s work will be a welcome addition for fans of Homer’s original work and for newcomers to this classic story.– Andrea Lipinski, New York Public Library Back to book review list