Asterix At The Olympic Games

The ancient Olympics have come to Athens, and Asterix and Obelix are entering. There is, however, a small problem: magic potion counts as a banned substance. Without it, can a village of Gauls hold their own against athletes from across the ancient world? And what exactly is in that other cauldron, in the shed, with the door that doesn't quite close? Goscinny at his most gleefully topical, and Uderzo at his most magnificent.

We love it because:

• The Olympic Games setting gives Goscinny full licence to skewer ancient sport, national rivalry and the thorny question of performance enhancement with the kind of wit that works on every level: children find it brilliantly funny, adults find it even funnier
• Uderzo's crowd scenes are extraordinary: athletes from across the ancient world rendered with loving, ridiculous detail, and Obelix in athletic kit is an image that stays with you
• The Asterix books are one of the great gifts you can give a child: genuinely funny, beautifully drawn, packed with wordplay and historical jokes that reward re-reading for years
• This is one of the best in the series, and a particularly good one for anyone who loves sport or has watched an Olympics and noticed how little has changed

What's in the box:

• Paperback, 48 pages
• Full colour illustrations by Albert Uderzo throughout
• Written by René Goscinny, published by Orion Children's Books

Great for:

• Ages 7 and up, and any adult who grew up with Asterix and wants to read them again
• A birthday gift, a holiday book or the one you add to a collection that already has a few but definitely needs more
• A brilliant gateway into reading for children who think they don't like books but haven't tried comics yet

Important to know:

• Paperback, 48 pages
• Dimensions: 28.6 x 21.8cm (11.3 x 8.6 in)
• Full colour illustrations throughout
• ISBN: 9780752866277
• Published July 2005