Dramatic traditional stories are retold in a spare, lyrical style, but retain the strength and flavor of the original ancient myths in this collection from ancient civilizations around the world. Such complex stories as Greece's "How Zeus Came to Power," the Vikings' "Odin and the Tree of Life," and Africa's "Anansi and the Stories" are brought alive through spare narrative, richly evocative pictures, and plenty of extra information such as character family trees and abundant sidebars offering additional historical background.