The Gods and Goddesses of Olympus (Trophy Picture Books) (Paperback)

~ (Author, Illustrator) "Long, long ago in ancient Greece, some people began telling stories to explain the mysteries of life..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Despite her vibrant art and her valiant attempt to simplify her material, Aliki's (A Medieval Feast; My Visit to the Aquarium) whirlwind tour of Olympus doesn't manage to untangle the labyrinthine legends of the mythical past. Her book falls into two sections, the first breezing through traditional Greco-Roman theogony. Some of her truncated accounts may mystify the target audience: "Cronus married his sister Rhea, and they had many children. But Cronus was afraid that one of them might overthrow him just as he had overthrown his father. So as each child was born he swallowed it." By the time Cronus regurgitates his offspring, who join with Zeus to rule the universe, Aliki moves on to a series of page-long profiles of various deities. The two halves of the book just don't hang together. On the other hand, the art, which is generously interspersed with the text, provides consistency. Bountiful details adapted from Greek vase paintings and sculpture fill Aliki's stylized pencil drawings. Washes of gouache paints and colored pencils imbue the compositions with a distinctly Mediterranean sunniness. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Gr. 2-4, younger for reading aloud. This large-format book provides a quick, brightly illustrated introduction to the ancient Greek gods and goddesses. Beginning with Gaea, Uranus, and the Titans, Aliki chronicles the rise and fall of Cronus and the defeat of the Titans by the new gods (Zeus and company), whom she introduces individually. The latter section, which comprises two-thirds of the book, will prove useful in libraries as a clear, simple overview of the more familiar gods and goddesses. The artwork varies in quality from the well-imagined scenes showing Gaea growing out of "a dark space named Chaos" to the awkward and slightly comical look of the scenes in which Cronus swallows his children and disgorges them. A Greek dramatist might have advised that those actions should take place offstage, to be reported by the players. While not a source for storytellers, this will prove useful in libraries with a demand for basic information on the gods and goddesses at the primary-grade level. Carolyn Phelan --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (January 31, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0064461890
• ISBN-13: 978-0064461894
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.8 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #43,440 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic book!, August 3, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Gods and Goddesses of Olympus (Hardcover)

My 6-yr old neice absolutely loves this book. We had checked it out of the library and now I am purchasing it for her. This serves as a very good introduction to Greek mythology for young kids. It is clearly written and provides interesting vocabulary (that sometimes needs explanation). Our absolute favorite thing about the book is the illustration. The images are beautiful, fanciful, and inspire a person to dream! My neice has a hard time visually what words mean; she likes how there's a large portrait of the god or goddess, then scattered around him or her are little vignettes in pictures illustrating some major events in their lives. She can "read" this book herself and recall the stories. The images truly stick in one's mind.

I've looked at a dozen kids mythology books. Start them out with this one. If they are a bit older and dig mythology, get this for them anyhow. It will help refresh their memory.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gods and Goddesses of Olympus, July 30, 2001

By	"bigl545" (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews

The Gods and Goddesses of Olympus is an interesting book. This book explains the origin of the gods and goddesses of Olympus. After reading this book a couple of times you will gain basic knowledge of the Greek gods and goddesses and how they evolved.

Aliki provides excellent illustrations that allow the story to be vividly portrayed. The illustrations relate well with the text and help the reader create a better understanding for the text. Her illustrations are drawn in pencil, then inked and colored with paints and colored pencils.

This book is at about a fifth grade reading level. However, the contents of this book are intended for an older, more mature audience, which leads to some concerns with using the book in the classroom. There are many moral issues in the book, as well as gruesome concepts throughout the book. For example, the ideas of incest are mentioned repeatedly, along with murder. These concepts may be rather difficult to explain to your students within your classroom.

Students who are interested in Greek gods and goddesses would really enjoy this book. However, in order for students to understand this book they need to be at a high independent reading level. The book can get rather confusing the first time around.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Gods and Goddesses of Olympus By Aliki, November 6, 2006

By	Cynthia Natal Guzman "Amphipolis" (Aguadilla, Puerto Rico) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is by the far the best book I have foud that explains the creation according to the Greeks. I have used it in my high school classroom as well as my junior high and it is always a hit. This book contains the origins of the universe starting with mother earth (Gaea) and father sky (Uranos), the birth and the reign of the Titans and the reing of the Olympians Gods when they took over the earth. It aslo gives a great and thorough introduction of each of the 14 Olympian gods that reign upon Olympus. The pictures are amazing. The whole book is a work of art!