# ID these books (Children's book about Greek myths, illustrated book of folk songs) from 1960s **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** books-writing-myths\ **Created:** [September 27, 2025, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-these-books-childrens-book-about-greek-myths-illustrated-book-of-folk-songs-from-1960s/1023428 "2025-09-27T13:27:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2025, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-these-books-childrens-book-about-greek-myths-illustrated-book-of-folk-songs-from-1960s/1023428/1 "2025-09-27T13:27:45Z")
Hi! I’m trying to track down two books I saw as a child around 60 years ago. One was a children’s book about Greek myths, illustrated in a style heavily influenced by Picasso’s neoclassical style (Picasso was not the artist). From the same period, there was a book of folk songs–music and lyrics–also heavily illustrated in a style combining elements of cubism and rural Americana. I really wish I had any more information to go on; these were oversized books, the music one was in color for sure and the Greek myths one might have been as well. These were from the Nashville library in the late 60s and they looked like they might have been about ten years old at the time. This isn’t much to go on, but the Dope has come through with much less! ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2025, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-these-books-childrens-book-about-greek-myths-illustrated-book-of-folk-songs-from-1960s/1023428/2 "2025-09-27T14:30:49Z")
The folk song book isn’t _The Abelard Folk Song Book_, although that comes pretty close. _Abelard_’s illustrations are great, but the one I’m looking for looks a little less TerryToons/Jazz Hipster, a little more Matisse-meets-Grandma Moses. I realize these descriptions mean nothing to people who never saw these books, but if by chance you have, this should trigger a very vivid recollection. ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2025, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-these-books-childrens-book-about-greek-myths-illustrated-book-of-folk-songs-from-1960s/1023428/3 "2025-09-27T17:14:50Z")
Was the Greek Mythology book this one? > **[D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths: d'Aulaire, Ingri, d'Aulaire, Edgar Parin:...](https://www.amazon.com/DAulaires-Greek-Myths-Ingri-dAulaire/dp/0440406943)** > > D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths \[d'Aulaire, Ingri, d'Aulaire, Edgar Parin\] on Amazon.com. \*FREE\* shipping on qualifying offers. D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths Published in 1962. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2025, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-these-books-childrens-book-about-greek-myths-illustrated-book-of-folk-songs-from-1960s/1023428/4 "2025-09-27T17:25:03Z")
[P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/p-man) [Guest](https://boards.straightdope.com/g/Registered) > [9m](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-these-books-childrens-book-about-greek-myths-illustrated-book-of-folk-songs-from-1960s/1023428/3) > > Was the Greek Mythology book this one? No, this does look great, though! ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2025, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-these-books-childrens-book-about-greek-myths-illustrated-book-of-folk-songs-from-1960s/1023428/5 "2025-09-27T17:25:59Z")
It’s definitely had staying power; kids still love it. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2025, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-these-books-childrens-book-about-greek-myths-illustrated-book-of-folk-songs-from-1960s/1023428/6 "2025-09-27T17:29:49Z")
Just a guess here based on my own childhood memories. Could you have been looking at a couple of volumes of [the Childcraft series](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Childcraft)? ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2025, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-these-books-childrens-book-about-greek-myths-illustrated-book-of-folk-songs-from-1960s/1023428/7 "2025-09-27T17:56:26Z")
> [Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/little_nemo) [Charter Member](https://boards.straightdope.com/g/Charter_Member) > > [22m](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-these-books-childrens-book-about-greek-myths-illustrated-book-of-folk-songs-from-1960s/1023428/6) > > Just a guess here based on my own childhood memories. Could you have been looking at a couple of volumes of [the Childcraft series](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Childcraft)? No, we were a _Journeys Through Bookland_ family. The book I’m looking for was standalone. And the music book was a library book my folksinger sister kept checking out. ---
**Author:** ![De\_La\_Rue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@De\_La\_Rue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/De_La_Rue)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2025, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-these-books-childrens-book-about-greek-myths-illustrated-book-of-folk-songs-from-1960s/1023428/8 "2025-09-27T23:59:59Z")
There was that non-D’Aulaires book about Greek myths I had that also includes Beowulf and Roland at the end. Which, upon further research, is _[The Golden Treasury of Myths and Legends](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/461095.Golden_Treasury_of_Myths_and_Legends_Adapted_from_the_World_s_Great_Classics)_. Might that be it? ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2025, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-these-books-childrens-book-about-greek-myths-illustrated-book-of-folk-songs-from-1960s/1023428/9 "2025-09-28T01:00:43Z")
> De\_La\_Rue > Guest > 1h > > There was that non-D’Aulaires book about Greek myths I had that also includes Beowulf and Roland at the end. Which, upon further research, is The Golden Treasury of Myths and Legends. Might that be it? Looking at the preview at [openlibrary.org](https://www.openlibrary.org)… Holy cow! That’s it! ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2025, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-these-books-childrens-book-about-greek-myths-illustrated-book-of-folk-songs-from-1960s/1023428/10 "2025-09-28T06:30:33Z")
> [@Horatio\_Hellpop](#): > > a book of folk songs–music and lyrics–also heavily illustrated in a style combining elements of cubism and rural Americana Is it, perhaps, _American Ballads and Folk Songs_ by [John A. Lomax](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5649765.John_A_Lomax) and [Alan Lomax](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/130818.Alan_Lomax) or, perhaps, _American Folktales and Songs_ by Richard Chase? ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2025, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-these-books-childrens-book-about-greek-myths-illustrated-book-of-folk-songs-from-1960s/1023428/11 "2025-09-28T08:04:15Z")
> [Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wendell_wagner) [Charter Member](https://boards.straightdope.com/g/Charter_Member) > > Is it, perhaps, _American Ballads and Folk Songs_ by [John A. Lomax](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5649765.John_A_Lomax) and [Alan Lomax](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/130818.Alan_Lomax) or, perhaps, _American Folktales and Songs_ by Richard Chase? No, good try. The one I’m looking for is an oversized book with big, stylized color illustrations. These are kind of scholarly and the Chase one has nice spot illos. I’m more interested in the art than the music, personally, and this has been haunting me for a few years now. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2025, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-these-books-childrens-book-about-greek-myths-illustrated-book-of-folk-songs-from-1960s/1023428/12 "2025-09-28T08:15:49Z")
> [@Horatio\_Hellpop](#): > > From the same period, there was a book of folk songs–music and lyrics–also heavily illustrated in a style combining elements of cubism and rural Americana. Maybe: - [Fireside Book of Folk Songs](https://www.amazon.com/Fireside-Book-Songs-Margaret-Bradford/dp/B000NWY0W4) It sure seems to fit your criteria. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2025, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-these-books-childrens-book-about-greek-myths-illustrated-book-of-folk-songs-from-1960s/1023428/13 "2025-09-28T10:05:26Z")
> [Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whack-a-mole) Carpe Diem Tomorrow (He/Him) > > [2h](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-these-books-childrens-book-about-greek-myths-illustrated-book-of-folk-songs-from-1960s/1023428/12) > > Maybe: > > - [Fireside Book of Folk Songs](https://www.amazon.com/Fireside-Book-Songs-Margaret-Bradford/dp/B000NWY0W4) > > It sure seems to fit your criteria. This isn’t it, but it does look really amazing! This one is slick-looking, heavy on the Americana but light on the cubism. The art in the one I’m looking for looks a lot bluesier rougher, much less cute. It’s an illustration style that was popular in the 50s, like Henry Pitz or Franz Altschuler, but simpler. ---
**Author:** ![themapleleaf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/themapleleaf/32/14349_2.png) [@themapleleaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/themapleleaf)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2025, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-these-books-childrens-book-about-greek-myths-illustrated-book-of-folk-songs-from-1960s/1023428/14 "2025-09-28T10:08:39Z")
> [@Horatio\_Hellpop](#): > > From the same period, there was a book of folk songs–music and lyrics–also heavily illustrated in a style combining elements of cubism and rural Americana. That sounds a lot to me like a description of the art of [Dahlov Ipcar](https://www.dahlovipcarart.com/buy-books). I googled around and couldn’t find either a book of American Folk Songs or of Greek myths illustrated by her, but there is for example her “The Cat Came Back”, which I remember well from childhood - see the link I embedded above. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2025, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-these-books-childrens-book-about-greek-myths-illustrated-book-of-folk-songs-from-1960s/1023428/15 "2025-09-28T10:25:12Z")
Well, we found the Greek myths book. The book I’m looking foor looks kind of blues-y and mournful. If you ever saw the animated short [Rooty Toot Toot](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EE8_ddz0XvI), it looks a little like that. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2025, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-these-books-childrens-book-about-greek-myths-illustrated-book-of-folk-songs-from-1960s/1023428/16 "2025-09-28T10:28:43Z")
> [@Horatio\_Hellpop](#): > > The art in the one I’m looking for looks a lot bluesier rougher, much less cute. Like this? [![](https://i.imgur.com/BuELRAy.png) ](https://i.imgur.com/BuELRAy.png) Same book, earlier cover. A close-up: [![](https://i.imgur.com/NGlpj8G.png) ](https://i.imgur.com/NGlpj8G.png) ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2025, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-these-books-childrens-book-about-greek-myths-illustrated-book-of-folk-songs-from-1960s/1023428/17 "2025-09-28T10:30:20Z")
No. There’s a scan of the whole book on [openlibrary.org](http://openlibrary.org) and it isn’t it. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2026, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-these-books-childrens-book-about-greek-myths-illustrated-book-of-folk-songs-from-1960s/1023428/18 "2026-01-11T04:00:33Z")
The book in question is _Songs of Man_ by Norman Luboff & Win Stacke, illustrations by Paul Freeman. The other book, as noted earlier, was _The Golden Treasury of Myths and Legends._ Both books, long out of print, are available (with some digging) at [OpenLibrary.org](http://OpenLibrary.org). Thanks to all who participated in this search.