I have high hopes for this collection of Greek myths, retold by Eric A. Kimmel and illustrated by Pep Montserrat (McElderry, 2008). Well, what I would really like is a companion volume of Roman myths (we're all about Ancient Rome over here right now), but perhaps if we all rush out to buy this one, the folks at McElderry will follow up. And I have been looking for a book of myths to read the kids (see this post about my search). It makes sense to start with the Greeks; almost everything else does.
It matters to me that the collection we choose be one that the kids and I will love to read and listen to, to look at and pore over. Not just because it will have to fight for shelf space (and the kids' attention) with a lot of other books, either: I think that knowing the myths is important, as important knowing the fairy tales or the Bible stories; and more to the point, I think that the book you first meet them in, the one where you visit them regularly, matters, too.
Do you remember a particular collection of myths or fairy tales from your childhood? You might even remember the words and pictures of a favorite story from that collection. If you do (please tell me if you do), then you know what I mean.
[See an excerpt of The McElderry Book of Greek Myths here.]