Greeking Out Tales from the Underworld: Ghostly Myths from Around the Globe

Ages 8 to 12, Grades 3 to 7

Hold on tight as Greeking Out goes to the dark side, bringing you scary (and surprisingly funny) tales of life, death, and everything in between!

Get ready for 20 bone-chilling stories of the Underworld—from ancient Greece and around the world—as told by the team behind the smash-hit podcast and New York Times best-selling book series.

Venture to the edge of life itself from the safety of your living room! In these stories, you’ll encounter a very ill-advised bid to kidnap the queen of the Underworld, an Egyptian god of death who weighs your heart against a feather, the treacherous and winding road to the Norse afterlife, and much more. Tales of fearsome gods, fantastical monsters, and literally death-defying heroes of the spirit world are told in the hilarious, kid-friendly voice that’s sent the Greeking Out podcast to the top of the charts.

As well as favorite frightening tales from Greek mythology, you’ll hear unforgettable stories from ancient Egypt, Scandinavia, Mesopotamia, the Philippines, China, Central America, and more.

Playful illustrations coupled with cheeky storytelling and real information about life (and death) in the ancient world—delivered by the all-knowing Oracle of Wi-Fi—make this collection of fabulous fables an essential addition to your library.

Complete your collection with Greeking Out: Epic Retellings of Classic Greek Myths and Greeking Out Heroes and Olympians.

About the Author

KENNY CURTIS has more than 30 years in children’s programming as a performer, writer, and producer. He is one of the creators of National Geographic Kids’ Greeking Out podcast series, which he hosts and cowrites alongside his daughter, Jillian Hughes. Together, they've helped develop kids’ offerings for partners like Pinna, Tinkercast, Kidz Bop, and 8 Pound Gorilla Records. Kenny may be best known as the human behind the long-running program The Animal Farm on SiriusXM’s Kids Place Live.

JILLIAN HUGHES is a professional writer with her heart in the kids and family industry. She’s a writer for National Geographic Kids’ Greeking Out podcast series and has contributed to other platforms including Pinna, Tinkercast, and iHeart. While she enjoys working with all her clients, she is especially partial to collaborating with Kenny—who just happens to be her dad.

Author Residence: Catonsville, MD

JAVIER ESPILA is a Spanish illustrator who has been devouring cartoons ever since he was old enough to sit upright in front of the TV. This had the unfortunate consequence of rendering him unsuitable for any job other than illustrating absurd and fantastical stories. He lives with his wife and two daughters, who help him by alternating cartoons with video games.

Illustrator Residence:Málaga, Spain