Father Reads 3,000-Year-Old Odyssey to His 3-Year-Old

A father in the United States began reading Homer’s The Odyssey to his three-year-old son, despite the poem’s complex structure and sometimes-gruesome content. He prepped his son with illustrated children’s books about the Trojan War and Odysseus, introducing characters like Cyclops and Sirens. The father chose a 2025 translation by Daniel Mendelsohn for its lyrical language and adherence to Homer’s original meter, making it suitable for reading aloud.

The father found that his son not only enjoyed the story but began making connections between The Odyssey and other tales like Finding Nemo and the story of Jonah. The boy also incorporated characters and events from the epic into his playtime, transforming the world around him into a stage for heroic adventures.

The father hopes this exposure to the ancient poem will foster his son’s imagination and provide a sense of connection to a long history of storytelling. He plans to continue reading the epic, carefully navigating potentially sensitive content as his son grows.