The Gods and Goddesses of Olympus: Meet Zeus, Hera, and Athena in These Splendid Greek Myths for Kids (Ages 4-8) (Trophy Picture Books (Paperback))

Beautifully illustrated and clearly written, this is a great gift for any kid who has an interest - or might become interested - in Greek Mythology.

This is a wonderful book - geared for children but enjoyable for any age. The book uses straightforward language, so that the reader and listener will not get overwhelmed by complex or archaic terminology. The artwork is just beautiful and will keep the young audience engaged while listening. The book is quite systematic, starting with Gaea and showing the lineages of the Gods, the Titans, etc. By the end of the book, you can look at the last page and identify the 12 Gods who sat on Olympus and a few others to boot. Even adults who have some knowledge of Greek Mythology will appreciate its orderly presentation and the book will help you understand the relationships between the Gods. My only criticism is that pronunciation keys were not provided. This would really help a novice like me (and most children) so as not to butcher their beautiful greek names. Otherwise, I have no criticism at all.

I have read a number of Greek mythology books to my six year old son and one of the things that is most difficult to explain is the origins of Greek gods. The intertwining stories of Gaea, the Titans and Cronus are at the very heart of the Greek cosmology. Yet, without mortals and human interactions, these foundational stories are inherently more abstract and difficult to grasp. The strength of Aliki's "The Gods and Goddesses of Olympus" is that it sets out the creation story in a much simpler and easy to follow form. Aliki writes well and the colorful illustrations help advance the story line. But where Aliki is at his best, is as an organizer. A complicated story is made simple through careful, well thought out story telling.

I bought this book for my four-year old grandson who can recite the Greek alphabet from ALPHA to OMEGA. I taught Latin and the Ancient Greek and Roman Classics, and felt it is time that he was introduced to the ancient Greek gods and goddesses. This book is a perfect introduction to the gods and goddesses of Olympus. It clearly explains each ones role with colorful illustrations. I am giving it to him for Easter, and just know that he will love it. This child absorbs so much that he learns. And I will so enjoy teaching him about these ancient gods and their roles. I highly recommend this book. It is well written and nicely illustrated.

Beautiful book! Perfect for teaching my second and third graders the Pantheon and some basic Greek Mythology. I compared this to about 4 other similar books and found this one most helpful for that age range.

This is a very useful book. It is hard to find books about ancient Greek myths that are appropriate for the very young set, but this one works. It works especially well as a preparation for reading Heather Amery's Greek Myths for Young Children (Stories for Young Children) . Both of these books are easier than D'Aulaire's, which is more like the 5th or 6th grade level, and certainly easier than the classic Edith Hamilton Mythology , which is more appropriate for teens and adults. The nice thing about Aliki's book is that it introduces the Olympians in a fairly simple and attractive format. There aren't many books that do that. Each god gets a couple pages with a big attractive picture. (Well, your mileage may vary on the pictures, but I found them helpful, anyway, though occasionally confusing--I had to explain to my little boy which part of the story referred to which part of a big picture.) The text itself is fine. Engaging enough, but not really special; not worth five stars. The opening pages, covering the creation of the world, the Titans, and the war between the Olympians and the Titans, is very well done. I skipped entirely over the bits where Cronus was shown devouring his children a la the famous Goya painting (well, not as bloody, but too graphic for little kids, for my taste). I think publishers ought to get on the stick and create a series of well-illustrated, well-told, somewhat softened versions of the ancient Greek myths, for the 1st-3rd grade level. They would sell like hotcakes.

To me this book tells the stories from Greek mythology as they have been handed down for generations. I hate it when authors add their own slant on them, add extra characters etc. My grandchildren are half Greek. They love this book and their dad likes that the stories are told as he remembers them from his childhood. I will buy it again for my other grandchildren and for any children I know.

my 3 and 5 year old love this book. the pictures are great. it's a nice introduction to greek mythology. my 5 year old enjoyed making a family tree of the gods after reading this book, all on her own! it's now a bedtime favorite. the kronos swallowing the babies part is intense, but VERY interesting to them.

Excellent. Previously I had ordered for a hard cover which I had to return because it got damaged due to rain, probably at the airports, in transit. But the paperback is a replica of that edition and quite OK for kiddies.

I have been wanting to introduce my daughter (now aged 6) to the Greek myths and have searched for a good book. This one is superb. Lots of detail, but not too much. Interesting tidbits that make you go wow. Great illustrations. Perfect tone - upbeat, exciting, awe inspiring, not gory or scary. It covers the creation story, the genealogy of the gods and goddesses, plus 1-3 paragraphs on each of the main gods (the twelve with thrones on Mt Olympus plus Eros, Hestia, and Hades [from my memory!]). My daughter has asked for this book every night since she has gotten it and now knows who all the main gods are and what they rule over. We've had it about two weeks. I bought previously another Greek myth book which I thought was better than most but that one engendered no enthusiasm whatsoever. This would be a great intro for an older child too who has no background in the gods and goddesses and is struggling with the complexity of a more advanced book. I know we will get years of use from this book. Can't recommend it enough.

We brought this book for our 6 year old before going to Cyprus. He loved it. The discriptions, illustrations and general feel of the book were perfect fo him to understand and he spent the holiday looking out for Zeus

Loved the book