I'm a little confused about the author's purpose—she has a note at the beginning about how gender roles are changing and it's okay for men and boys to cry or raise children while women work outside the home so as we venture into unknown territory it's very important for us to remember the male archetypes that came before—but the stories themselves are wonderful. I love the illustrations and I love the collection of stories from Ireland, Mexico, Greece, Nigeria, Japan, and more. ( )

Grandfather Mountain takes ancient stories and brings them to life in a style that is both accessible to modern readers and respectful of their origins. The book contains tales from the Seneca, Yoruba, Maori, Aztec, Greek, English, Shinto, and Celtic traditions. These are stories of men and boys, both human and magical, and of their heroic journeys and adventures. Readers will learn of Crow and the stories he brought down from Grandfather Mountain, of how Quetzalcoatl created the first humans, and of the wars between Ireland's fairy folk before the advent of humans.

Stories are powerful, and the value of a multi-cultural anthology such as this is that it introduces ideas and archetypes that are not always prominent in modern western culture. This book is aimed towards boys, and gives them colorful examples of boys and men who are powerful not only as warriors, but also as storytellers, healers, and even tricksters. Such images and characters are vital for boys in a modern world often lacking in appropriate role models. This is especially true when the cultural expectations of manhood that boys encounter may be out of joint with what they truly feel with their own hearts and souls.

In addition, these stories teach the value of qualities such as fidelity, bravery, and kindness. In this way, such mythological stories serve the same function as the religious teaching stories that are ubiquitous in the world's religions. Even if you are one of the increasing numbers of parents who are raising their children in the Freethinker or New Atheist traditions, it is important for them to be literate in the religious stories and symbolism that have become part of modern culture, and a familiarity with world mythologies can provide a solid foundation for understanding religious symbolism. One caution for parents: These are ancient stories and many were composed in violent times; they do contain scenes of killing and death that, while not graphic, may be inappropriate for very young children. Review by Book Dads ( )