Amazons! Women Warriors of the World

Seven traditional tales about feisty young women are interspersed here with tips on how to be an Amazon yourself. The stories, from cultures worldwide, are well told by a renowned storyteller – I particularly enjoyed the Siberian story ‘The Maiden Knight and the Northern Lights’.

The illustrations are painted in strong colours, often with equally strong outlines, dramatically emphasising the strength of the young women of the tales and enhancing the folktale imagery on the whole, although the effect is sometimes a bit brash. The pages devoted to the modern young Amazon are careful to include a mixture of races and abilities in the girls portrayed, and suggest some fun activities as well as giving a breadth of interpretation of what it is to be an ‘Amazon’.