Classics ClubhouseThe Odyssey for Kids
A wooden horse, a one-eyed giant, a witch who turns sailors into pigs, a song that lures ships onto the rocks, and one clever hero trying to get home to his family.
Too young for the movie?
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is rated R. If your kids are curious about the story everyone’s talking about, this is the version made for them: every monster, every trick, and the greatest homecoming ever told, with the frightening parts handled gently.
The story
After ten long years of war at Troy, the clever hero Odysseus sets sail for home. It should take a few weeks. It takes ten more years. Along the way he outwits a Cyclops, sails past the Sirens, escapes a witch’s island, and visits the land of the dead, while back home his wife, Penelope, and son, Telemachus, hold out hope against a houseful of greedy suitors.
The Odyssey was sung out loud for generations before anyone wrote it down, which makes a family telling it together one of the oldest ways to share it. Our six-part retelling keeps Homer’s monsters, his cleverness, and his heart. Listen for “rosy-fingered dawn,” Homer’s most famous refrain.
The episodes
Six episodes, arriving Tuesdays and Fridays through Thanksgiving week.
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Part 1
The Waiting House
Tuesday, November 17
A wooden horse wins a war, and a family waits for a father who never comes home.
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Part 2
The Storyteller
Friday, November 20
Washed up on a strange shore, Odysseus tells the tale of the Cyclops.
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Part 3
Winds and Witches
Tuesday, November 24
A bag of winds, a giants’ harbor, and a witch who turns sailors into pigs.
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Part 4
The Land of the Dead
Friday, November 27
A visit to the underworld, the Sirens’ song, and a choice between two monsters.
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Part 5
The Beggar in His Own House
Tuesday, December 1
Home at last, in disguise, as a beggar in his own house.
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Part 6
The Bow
Friday, December 4
The great bow, the hardest test, and a reunion nearly three thousand years in the making.
Talk about it
A taste of the discussion questions in the free family guide:
- Odysseus wins by being clever, not by being strongest. When have you solved a problem by thinking instead of muscling through?
- Why do you think Penelope never gave up waiting?
- If you could ask Odysseus one question about his journey, what would it be?
For grown-ups: Homer’s epic has battles and monsters. Our retelling keeps all the adventure and cleverness while handling the frightening parts gently: honest, and never graphic.
Be first in line
Get the free Odyssey family guide and a reminder the morning Part 1 arrives.
Free, and we never share your address.
About the book
The Odyssey is an ancient Greek epic poem credited to Homer and composed nearly three thousand years ago. It is in the public domain; our retelling is original, written in our own words rather than drawn from any modern translation.