Tuesday, September 19, 2017

Gilgamesh the Hero by Geraldine McCaughrean illustrated by David Parkins

Next week we will be reading the Epic of Gilgamesh, one of the oldest stories in the world.  I was going to have my ten year old son read this specific book independently but after reading the first part, I am not going to share it with him.
To lure Enkidu, a beast, Gilgamesh advises a hunter to bring a naked, beautiful woman to the woods where Enkidu lives.   He brings Hatti, a harlot (although in this story she calls herself a "dancing girl") and when Enkidu sees and smells her, he is aroused (the author calls it "craving").  Hatti does tame him with her words and kisses.  An illustration depicting a naked Hatti is included (the reader sees her bare back and her butt cheeks).  Because of these inclusions, I do not feel comfortable having my fifth grader read this book.
Instead he will be reading three picture books about Gilgamesh, each one depicting a different tablet/part of the epic poem.
-Borrowed from the library.

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