After war, his ships rode the foam.
Their chief, Odysseus, longed for home.
Through wind, rain, and spray,
He was swept far away.
He was tired of having to roam.
Story page 1
LITTLEST · Read it with me
The Odyssey
Complete draft manuscript · Artwork in progress
Read together with a grown-up. These classics include danger, loss and sadness. Missing pictures are clearly marked; wordless passages need their illustrations to tell the full story. This is a working draft, not a finished or print-ready book.
Spread 1 · Story pages 1–2
Wordless page, told by the illustration.
Story page 2
Illustration style draft · Text is typeset separately from the unchanged source artwork.
Spread 2 · Story pages 3–4
Men ate at her home every day.
'Choose a new husband!' they'd say.
Penelope, his wife,
Feared for her son's life.
She wished they would all go away.
Story page 3
She wove a long cloth with soft thread.
'I will wed when it’s finished,' she said.
But she hid out of sight
And unpicked it each night.
There was always more weaving ahead.
Story page 4
Illustration style draft · Text is typeset separately from the unchanged source artwork.
Spread 3 · Story pages 5–6
The chief said, 'Nobody's my name.'
A giant had killed men who came.
They hurt his one eye;
Sheep helped them slip by.
'Nobody'—that's who got the blame.
Story page 5
Their chief shouted his name with pride.
The giant called out as he cried,
'Father, block his way!
Keep his home far away!'
The sea-god sent storms, far and wide.
Story page 6
Illustration style draft · Text is typeset separately from the unchanged source artwork.
Spread 4 · Story pages 7–8
Circe made pigs of the crew.
Their ears and their curly tails grew.
The chief made her swear
To treat them with care.
She restored the men that he knew.
Story page 7
Wordless page, told by the illustration.
Story page 8
Illustration style draft · Text is typeset separately from the unchanged source artwork.
Spread 5 · Story pages 9–10
The Sirens sang. 'Tie me up fast!'
He stood, safely tied to the mast.
With wax in each ear,
His men could not hear.
They rowed till the danger was past.
Story page 9
Wordless page, told by the illustration.
Story page 10
Illustration style draft · Text is typeset separately from the unchanged source artwork.
Spread 6 · Story pages 11–12
The sun-god had cows on that land.
“Leave them!” was the chief’s command.
With no food to eat,
They killed cows for meat
And ate what their chief had banned.
Story page 11
Zeus struck, and the wind blew fast.
The ship broke apart in the blast.
All his crew died that day.
He alone got away;
He survived on a piece of the mast.
Story page 12
Illustration style draft · Text is typeset separately from the unchanged source artwork.
Spread 7 · Story pages 13–14
Calypso kept him far away.
He wept for his home every day.
Athena said, 'Please,
Let him sail across seas.'
And the gods said, 'He needn't stay.'
Story page 13
Wordless page, told by the illustration.
Story page 14
Illustration style draft · Text is typeset separately from the unchanged source artwork.
Spread 8 · Story pages 15–16
He showed his true face to his son.
They hugged; happy tears had begun.
They held on so tight,
Then planned for the fight.
'We’ll hide their swords, one by one.'
Story page 15
Wordless page, told by the illustration.
Story page 16
Illustration style draft · Text is typeset separately from the unchanged source artwork.
Spread 9 · Story pages 17–18
Old Argos lay down by the gate.
His tail wagged; he knew his old mate.
But he could not rise;
He had love in his eyes.
Then he died, after such a long wait.
Story page 17
Wordless page, told by the illustration.
Story page 18
Illustration style draft · Text is typeset separately from the unchanged source artwork.
Spread 10 · Story pages 19–20
He bent his old bow, aimed just right.
He and his son killed those men in the fight.
They had threatened his wife
And her son's very life.
Their chairs stood all empty that night.
Story page 19
Wordless page, told by the illustration.
Story page 20
Illustration style draft · Text is typeset separately from the unchanged source artwork.
Spread 11 · Story pages 21–22
'Move our bed outside,' his wife said.
He frowned, and he shook his head.
'It's built on a tree,
And its roots can't come free!'
She knew him. They hugged there instead.
Story page 21
They held one another all night.
Their smiles in the lamplight were bright.
They had so much to say,
After years far away.
Their rooted old bed felt just right.
Story page 22
Illustration style draft · Text is typeset separately from the unchanged source artwork.
Spread 12 · Story pages 23–24
Dead men's families came, angry that day.
Athena said, 'Put your swords away!'
She ended the fight.
Both sides stepped back in fright.
'Keep this peace,' she said. 'Let it stay.'
Story page 23
Wordless page, told by the illustration.
Story page 24
Illustration style draft · Text is typeset separately from the unchanged source artwork.