Customer Reviews

The Simon & Schuster Book of Greek Gods and Heroes

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

While selecting books for an elementary school gifted and talented program, I think I scanned virtually every book of Greek mythology that has been published. I selected this book for my program as the most interesting and readable book. Alice Low writes in a clear style and systematically introduces the Greek gods and heroes while also making references to the other stories. Too many books on this topic are written in old-fashioned language that discourages the reader. Most other books fail to link the various stories to one another, leaving the reader feeling a bit disjointed. Low interweaves the tales, which gives a smooth narrative flow. The fact that 10-year-old children became enthusiastic about Greek mythology demonstrates the value of this book.

When one is trying to get a basic overall grasp of Greek mythology, it can be an overwhelming and formidable subject, and one can be at a loss for the best place to start. Most books I've found either give too much detail too fast or else are hit-and-miss selections that don't give a very comprehensive introduction. If that's been your experience too, this book could be an excellent solution to your problem. It gives a highly readable thorough introduction without overwhelming you with details. As an introduction to or review of Greek mythology, it is therefore highly recommendable. Although probably aimed primarily at children, I suppose grown-ups too, if not already expert on the subject, won't find it too elementary.

This book has great myths. At first, it seems boring, but soon your eyes will be glued onto the pages. It is a wonderful book to share around to your classmates and teachers. Each story has a morel that teaches you well on a situation. I recommend this to people around the teens.

This book is a great resource book. Not only for young readers but for anyone who want to know the most significant stories in Greek Mythology. This book makes a good basic reference for any history class. Anyone can learn easily from this book because it is easy to read, yet you receive a lot of information. It also includes colorful illustrations that giulds the reader through.

This book includes sections such as: "Mother Earth and Her Children", "The Gods and Foddesses of Mount Olypus", "Zuez and the Creation of Mankind", and "Triumnphs of the Gods". It has such stories as: Prometheus and His Gift to Man, Pandora, Echo, Medusa, Jason, Odysseus, and much more.

A personal favorite of mine is the story of Jason. One man fell for the love of a youthful princess, and tempted to leave his wife, Medea. Medea spent much of her money and prepared a feast for Jason. The revenge was sweet.... I can't tell you the rest. Buy this book, its far too interesting.

I purchased this book for my 9 year old son as a companion book to several astronomy and constellation guides he requested for his birthday. He completely devoured it in three days - the illustrations are bold and the stories are dramatic/gruesome enough to capture his interest (without being too horrible or nightmare-inducing). We are finding that knowing a bit about the legends behind the constellations makes stargazing that much more enjoyable. I would recommend this book for boys and girls 8-10 years old, although I admit I enjoyed reading it, too!

My children (ages 5-10) love this book. I have also read from this book to hospitalized teenagers; when I read Oedipus I finished the story and heard a chorus of "read it again!"

I noticed that some of the reviews posted here say that this book is unsuitable for children, but I wonder if the reviewers actually tried reading the book to them.

My seven-year-old daughter loves this book. The language and illustrations are just right for a first introduction to this subject, but not babyish at all. We are taking turns reading each story. She thinks it's like a soap opera.

Greek Gods and Heroes is one of the better books on mythology for children out thare, with great pictures and easy to understand stories that people of all ages can enjoy. As a child it was my favorite book in the school library and I checked it out over and over again. It is a must have for any fan of the greek gods and the myths about them.

This book was fun to read. I question the accuracy of some of the tales, as they differ slightly from other versions I have read. However, it is good, light reading and it covers nearly all of the major Greek gods and heros. The reading level is pretty low which allows for maximum retention of the important plot points, rather than requiring the reader to filter through all the language to get to the point. Great bedtime reading material

I took a college World Mythology course over the summer and my 5 and 7 year olds were interested in the pictures in my textbooks. Striking while
the iron was hot, so to speak, I ordered them this book to study along with mom. It was fun for me to read as well as enjoying and understandable for them. This book was a great choice.