Books › A Wonder Book for Girls and Boys
A Wonder Book for Girls and Boys
440 pages
A cozy, fireside retelling of ancient myths, softened into wondrous fairy tales for a younger audience.
What it feels like
Reading this collection feels like sitting on a sun-warmed porch in the mid-nineteenth century, listening to an enthusiastic storyteller spin ancient myths into cozy fairy tales. The pace is leisurely, anchored by a charming framing narrative of a young student entertaining a group of children in the Berkshire hills. Hawthorne strips away the harshness of classical Greek mythology, replacing the cold marble of antiquity with a warm, romantic, and distinctly American whimsy. The prose is ornate yet conversational, carrying an earnest, grandfatherly tone that gently imparts moral lessons without losing its sense of wonder. It is a perfect delight for readers who cherish vintage children's literature, nostalgic atmospheres, and the gentle magic of classic storytelling.
- Mood
- cozy
- nostalgic
- wondrous
- sun-warmed
- Tone
- earnest
- whimsical
- gentle
- didactic
- grandfatherly
- Pace
- leisurely
- Themes
- the magic of childhood · consequences of greed · heroism and bravery · curiosity and its costs · hospitality
- The writing
- Romantic, ornate, and conversational, featuring a warm, storytelling cadence that feels designed to be read aloud.
- The arc
- Moves from cozy, fireside anticipation into thrilling, wondrous adventures, ultimately resolving in gentle moral comfort.
- Who it's for
- Readers who love vintage children's literature, cozy framing narratives, and classic myths softened into fairy tales.
Content notes
- mild peril
- sanitized mythological violence
About the book
Six legends of Greek mythology, retold for children by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Included are The Gorgon’s Head, The Golden Touch, The Paradise of Children, The Three Golden Apples, The Miraculous Pitcher, and The Chimaera. In 1838, Hawthorne suggested to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow that they collaborate on a story for children based on the legend of the Pandora’s Box, but this never materialized. He wrote A Wonder Book between April and July 1851, adapting six legends most freely from Charles Anton’s A Classical Dictionary (1842). He set out deliberately to “modernize” the stories, freeing them from what he called “cold moonshine” and using a romantic, readable style that was criticized by adults but proved universally popular with children. With full-color illustrations throughout by Arthur Rackham.
Description from Open Library.
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