Review by Booklist Review
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. (Reviewed November 1, 1994)0060235306Carolyn Phelan
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
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. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 3-There's tough competition in the mythology game these days, but Aliki's fans will welcome her introduction to these famous Greeks. After the Uranus-Gaea, Cronus-Rhea background is sketched, the occupants of the 12 golden thrones are each described, along with Hades (underground), Hestia (hearth-bound) and Eros (hovering). The author outlines the deities' characters and attributes, sometimes including a brief incident from their lives, but these are sketches, not stories, of the gods and their otherworldly realm. The copious and colorful illustrations are, a note claims, based on antique models, but their unsophisticated style recalls the D'Aulaires' D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths (Doubleday, 1980). Libraries possessing that book, or Leonard Everett Fisher's The Olympians (Holiday, 1984), might choose Marcia Williams's Greek Myths for Young Children (Candlewick, 1992) because of its stronger narrative interest.-Patricia Dooley (Green), St. George's School, Newport, RI (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
After retelling the creation myth that explains how the Greek gods and goddesses came to live on Mount Olympus, Aliki offers a brief description of the history and character of each major Olympian. The numerous illustrations include full-page portraits and smaller scenes from various myths. This introduction may well pique the interest of readers unfamiliar with Greek mythology. From HORN BOOK 1994, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
