The first project that caught my eye was "How Chaucer Ruined the Canterbury Tales." Originally, it was the title that drew me in--I read a selection of Chaucer's Tales in high school and I enjoyed seeing the culture of the Middle Ages manifested in the literature. As I began to read the introduction, I became more and more intrigued by the background that the author, the Vintner, gave for his retelling of the stories. I especially appreciated the humor that was interjected throughout! The project was a refreshing twist on a classic.
Another storybook that I wanted to investigate more was "Odysseus Goes Shopping." I love reading modern takes on ancient literature, and this one definitely delivered--I ended up reading the entire thing! The author clearly put a lot of thought into each aspect of her story from the names to the details in which she changed the events from the Odyssey to fit modern life. Throughout the story, the protagonist, Sam, is asked by his wife to get several items from the grocery store to make various dishes for a holiday meal, and there are recipes for each dish at the end of the chapters--this was definitely my favorite part.
Finally, I loved the premise behind "Mother Goose: All Grown Up." In her introduction, the author states that Mother Goose's nursery rhymes are known for their brevity and are comedic due to their seemingly random nature: the details are few and certainly leave the meaning of the rhymes open to interpretation. In this storybook, the author weaves in background information and other details about the nursery rhyme characters that we grew up with. She explores what happened in their lives after they were portrayed in Mother Goose's collection. I especially liked the diary layout of the storybook; I felt it added a more personal feel to see it from the characters' own points of view.
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