Using Plato's dialogues, Timaeus and Critias, as sources, British author and illustrator Christina Balit relates the Greek myth of Atlantis in this gorgeous picture-book. Built up from a tiny island by the god Poseidon, after he marries island girl Cleito, Atlantis becomes a marvel of the world - an island city both wealthy and peaceful. Named after Poseidon and Cleito's oldest son, Atlas, it is governed by a wise set of laws. But when Poseidon sleeps beneath the waves, the people of Atlantis gradually abandon the laws, and violence and injustice creep into their civilization. Waking from his long rest, the sea god must fulfill his vow to destroy the island, if its people ever break the law, raining down fire and submerging Atlantis in powerful waves. And so the island slips beneath the waters, never to be seen again...

Although there are various different versions of the myth of Atlantis, something outlined by scholar Geoffrey Ashe in his afterword, Atlantis: The Legend of the Lost City retells the traditional Greek tale. The story here is engaging, and the illustrations simply beautiful! Balit uses vibrant colors - deep blues and oranges, and lovely golden highlights - and stylized figures to create paintings that are a pleasure to peruse. Beside the passage discussing the giving and keeping of Atlantis' laws, she depicts a carved half-disk that looks very much like the Phaistos Disk, from the ancient Minoan civilization on the island of Crete. This felt entirely appropriate, as some scholars believe that the story of Atlantis is actually about Crete, and about the destruction of the Minoan civilization after the eruption of a volcano on the island of Thera, in 1450 BC. I'd recommend this one to all folklore and mythology enthusiasts, particularly those interested in the legend of Atlantis, or in the idea of lost civilizations. ( )

Throughout my life I have heard of the mythical island of Atlantis, but never read the origin story. Author/Illustrator Christina Balit brings Atlantis to life in this retelling of the traditional tale. I picked this book off the shelf because of the vibrant illustrations of Poseidon, the Island of Atlantis, and it's inhabitants. Bold greens, blues, oranges and golds, in watercolor depict the rising sun on Atlantis' last day, the crashing waves as Atlantis is destroyed, the beauty of the island in it's heyday. Balit's simple retelling is a straightforward and child friendly version of the myth. Her description of the island is amplified by her illustrations. Words and phrases such as '...sacred land' and 'paradise' give the reader an image of the utopia that Atlantis once was. Overall a fun book to read but the real pleasure is the artwork.

This is book is about a very popular legand that most children eventually hear about. The pictures are wonderful and bright. This will help clarify the true legand of Atlantis. ( )

Atlantis is created by the Poseidon. THis god sees a village of people who have nothing and yet they are still happy. He wants to know what their secret is so he becomes one of them. In his scheme he falls in love with a maiden. When they marry the sea raises up and is is obvious that he is a god. The village becomes a place of miracles and is the happiest place on earth. All of Poseidon's sons rule over a different section of Atlantis in order to maintain peace. Once the villagers start to fight the peace is broken and the village sinks to the bottom of the sea. ( )

Genre:This book is a good example of a Myth/Legend because it takes the story of Atlantis and uses illustrations and words that kids can understand in order to tell the original story that has been around for hundreds and hundreds of years. The characters are supernatural beings, Greek gods and sea people. The influence of the gods is a major part of the story.

Media: Acrylic paint

Summary: Poseidon turns the island of his new wife into a beautiful, peaceful city eventually turns evil so he puts a curse on it and has to encircle it with water because the people became greedy and no longer lived peacefully.

Setting: The place and time is crucial to the story because without the island and the time when Greek gods supposedly were in charge of running the world, there wouldn't be a mythical story about a beautiful city that is lost at the bottom of the sea somewhere. ( )