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Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful!
Review: Gilgamesh the King, The Return of Ishtar, and The Last Quest of Gilgamesh are exceedingly well-written and show many different themes and life lessons. The themes of friendship, revenge, good vs. evil, ambition, and immortality. But I think the most essential, underlying message is about love. Enkidu shows love to Shamhat and Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh shows love to Enkidu and his city, Shamhat shows love to Enkidu, and the city shows love to Gilgamesh, Enkidu and Shamhat! Love is woven into the theme of eternal life. I think these stories would be fabulous for anybody but recommended for 5-12. I am in middle school and we are reading these stories in class. I enjoyed these stories tremendously. So if you want to teach your children about death or love or friendship, these would be the ultimate choice.
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Summary: Beautifully written and illustrated!!
Review: I bought this book for son and ended up reading all of Zeman's books to my 12th grade honors History seminar. They enjoyed it tremendously and drew comparisons between Gilgamesh and President Bush in their search for the destruction of the evil Humbaba ....after 9/11 it was appropiate for the circumstances....
The illustrations are rich and the text is ajoy to read to all age groups...we will keep these books for years to come.
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Summary: A suprising find
Review: I bought this book in hardcover, thinking I would "educate" my 6 yo daughter with it and then donate it to the library. What a surprise! My daughter loves this book and we have read it again and again. There are many aspects that combine to make this a book worth having. The text tells of a famous legend, with fear, love and friendship all woven together. The illustrations are lyrical--emphasizing story aspects rather than true life / art perspective. My daughter likes that the hidden hero is a woman, Shamhat. Although "recommended" for older children, I would recommend this for 6 to 8 yo's.
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Summary: BUY all three books in this series, you gotta HAVE them all!
Review: I received all three books in this series this afternoon and just finished reading them. Ludmila Zeman has done a wonderful job in retelling the Epic of Gilgamesh. This series is a great introduction into one of the oldest legends in the world. Children and adults will both loooove to read these books over and over. The artwork is first class and you will find yourself looking through this book just to soak up these beautiful images.
The words Ludmila Zeman used with each one of the pictures is rich but still to the point. So, don't wait any longer and buy buy buy all three! I am an elementary school teacher and I can't wait to share these stories with my students!
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Summary: Expuisite marriage of words and pictures
Review: Many of the great children's illustrators working today should really get someone else to write the text. But Ludmilla Zeman retells the epic of Gilgamesh in a way that is delightful and accessible to the ears of both children and adults. The art is astoundingly good. As well as providing an introduction to the earliest Western cultures in the written record, her choice of focus in her retelling provides an opportunity to discuss social justice and the destructiveness of violence. And did I mention the tasty art?
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Summary: Timeless story and exquisite illustration
Review: My children and I are beginning a study of ancient civilizations and I bought the three Gilgamesh books to expand our coverage of ancient Sumer. These books are just amazing! The story itself is powerful but I wondered how the author was going to tone down some of the violence; not to mention the fact that Shamat was a prostitute in other versions. Ludmilla Zeman has brought this story to children with intensity and grace that comes as a complete surprise. I especially liked her painting of the chaste kiss between Shamat and Enkidu with the explanation that Shamat taught Enkidu to speak and together they explored the ways of love. Very tender. In her illustrations, Ludmilla Zeman has made an attempt to incorporate actual historical artifacts. These are all high-quality books in every sense and I cannot recommend them highly enough.
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Summary: Beautiful pictures; a way to discuss death with children
Review: The three books in this series, Gilgamesh the King, The Revenge of Ishtar, and The Last Quest of Gilgamesh, are easily the most beautifully illustrated version of the Gilgamesh story available. (To get the entire story, you must have all three.) I was disappointed that these books were ignored by my library patrons. Apparently the story of Gilgamesh is not well-enough known to generate popular demand. However, anyone who knows and loves the story of Gilgamesh should see (and own) these books. Parents looking for a way to raise serious questions about death with their children, but who are put off by such syrupy books as The Tenth Good Thing About Barney, might consider these books as an alternative.
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Summary: Gilgamesh the King by Ludmila Zeman
Review: This is a fantastic version of the Epic of Gilgamesh -- for children, ages 4 - 12. The illustrations are colorful and very similar to the Sumerian/Babylonian style of art. The recounting is easy for children to follow. I bought it for my 7 year old but my four year old was riveted. There are other more thorough versions around but this is a great one for a beginner. Make sure you buy all 3 books in the series to get the whole epic, the other two being The Revenge of Ishtar and The Last Quest of Gilgamesh.
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