Amazons! Women Warriors of the World

Author: Sally Pomme Clayton
Illustrated by: Sophie Herxheimer
Hardcover: 96 page(s)
Age Range: 4 - 8
Ontario curriculum: Language - Reading

Book Description:

Powerful women may be given short shrift in history books, but the world-???+-?-+s folklore is filled with tales of their heroic exploits. Durga the Demon-Slayer, Al-Datma of Egypt, and Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons, are just a few of the legendary women who leapt over limits and fought to win. Their stories and others are told in Amazons! Collected from all over the world, these exciting tales feature women warriors who kill dragons, travel to the Northern Lights, slay demons, and learn that warrior skills are worthless without love. Compellingly related by acclaimed storyteller Sally Pomme Clayton, these tales demonstrate that being an Amazon isn-???+-?-+t so much about physical strength as it is about courage, skill, imagination, and kindness. Sophie Herxheimer-???+-?-+s vibrant artwork is the perfect match for these soul-stirring stories, and her illustrations reflect the variegated cultures represented in these here. Action pages offer ideas and advice on how to become a 21st-century Amazon.

School Library Journal
This handsome collection of folktales showcases seven empowering females, each with her own unique strengths and abilities. Clayton describes Hippolyta's fatal encounter with Hercules in "Queen of the Amazons," powering the plot with dramatic touches and putting a clever twist on the traditional tale's climax. In a Siberian tale, a maiden straps on her dead brother's dagger and bravely rides off to find the Northern Lights ("twelve shining girls, each lit with a different coloured light") to convince them to restore his life. Other selections feature a Chinese girl who conquers a hungry seven-headed dragon, a Sioux heroine determined to count coup, a demon-slaying goddess from India, an English serving girl who outwits an evil bandit, and a Middle Eastern warrior princess who refuses to marry until she finds an equal. Filled with lively language and fast-paced action, the tales introduce a pleasing range of characters and moods. An author's note and sources are appended. The illustrations employ swirling lines and vibrant color washes to reflect the setting and tone of each tale. The stories are separated by two-page interludes that provide brief facts or activities. Shared aloud or read independently, this upbeat book can stir up interest in courageous women and inspire modern-day heroines.-??