Ultimate Greek Mythology is a wonderful introduction to Greek myths. The stories are succinct, informative, and paired with beautiful illustrations. It is a book that will appeal to all ages!

Kind thanks to Zeitgeist, NetGalley, and the author for an advanced reading copy of Ultimate Greek Mythology.

This mythology book for children shows much thought given to an appealing and understandable presentation. The colorful illustrations are often memorable, although it seems some featuring female deities to me seem inappropriately cartoonish. The book is advertised on the cover as intended for ages 6 to 9, which is approximately grades 1 through 4. If used as a read-aloud by parents or teachers, first and second graders may comprehend the tales fairly well. Probably the higher levels would better handle reading the myths independently.

I am always looking for new ways to incorporate Greek Mythology into my unit on Ancient Greece, This title provided information appropriate for students in an engaging way. I will definitely share this book with my students when I have a physical copy.

I have always loved mythology and this book was no different. Some of the stories told in this book were slightly different from how I always heard them in the past, but each time that happened, there was a fun fact listed that stated the version I always heard. This is not surprising because myths are retold many times to different audiences, so they are consistently changing depending on when you heard them, what part of the world/country you're from, etc. I also loved how each name that wasn't straight forward in the pronunciation had the pronunciation with it, especially since this book is for younger audiences. Being an adult, I read this book very quickly and loved each of the individual stories throughout.

While this is technically geared towards tweens and teens. Anyone wanting to learn more about Greek myths will get a lot of this one.

This book does a wonderful job of laying a solid foundation before jumping into the stories! There is so much that you need to know to really understand the Greek Myths and it is easy to get confused with all the stories. The way this book lays the foundation really help the reader have an understanding before the story starts. I also liked the additional facts and questions throughout the book. I found the graphics just to be okay though and the layout for the additional facts/questions felt a bit old school textbook-ish. That part wasn't my favorite but the stories themselves and the foundational information was great.

Princess Fuzzypants here: Greek mythology is still relevant today. So many of the stories are part of modern books, films and other forms of entertainment. They are timeless whether it is a retelling of the myth or an interpretation of its essence. This book attempts to bring the myths to a young reading audience while acknowledging that there might be material a parent might wish to keep from much younger children.

After reading the stories, I think the warning is unnecessary. There is nothing in the way the stories are told that is offensive. Children have been reading and listening to fairytales since time immemorial without damaging their psyches. And the author does a good job of introducing many of the gods and goddesses and a number of the demi-gods and heroes to a new generation in a gentle manner. The option is offered to those who feel compelled to edit the material.

Four purrs and two paws up.

An absolute treasure! As someone who's obsessed with Greek mythology, I was looking for something that I could share with my cousins who are on the younger side (but loved Percy Jackson and wanted to learn more about the mythology behind it all). This is an informative, beautifully created insight into some of the most important figures and relationships. Can be read in small doses (perfect for the end of the day) and was highly appreciated by me and the small ones.

In the beginning of this book the letter to parents and guardians the writer states “Greek myths involve all the plotlines that make for great epics: adventure and discovery, bravery and compassion, justice and unfairness, good and evil-and love, lust, jealousy, violence, and death. Greek myths often involve violence and mature relationships, and while we've retold the myths in a way that camouflages these aspects, some elements remain crucial to the stories and are acknowledged, such as Zeus' many loves. Heroes must still slay villains, and some beloved characters die. And know that monsters are here: the nine-headed Hydra, the terrible Gorgons, the hound of Hades, and the sea monster Scylla, to name a few. We encourage you to read ahead, and if you read to your child, adjust or skip details as you see fit. If your child reads independently, read ahead before they pick this book up themselves. As you navigate the complex subjects covered in Greek myths with your child, you may want to reassure your young readers that the violence and drama are imaginary.” This I thought was a good “warning label” there are people out there with different opinions then others when it comes to certain aspects of this book I myself am not a sugar coating camouflaging type of person I always liked when my child read a book then asked questions that’s how they learn.

This book was beautifully written and the illustration was just as beautiful. The stories the, descriptions of each person and aspect was great this is definitely one that I am going to buy for my daughter to read to my grandson.

I would like to give a big thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book

The Ancient Greek Gods, Monsters and Heroes Come Vividly Alive in Full-Color Family Fun

For a rollicking educational adventure through the exciting legends and lore of Ancient Greece—with unforgettable tales such as those about the Mount Olympian gods like Zeus, and his wife, Hera; brave heroes like golden-fleece seeking Jason, and the super-strong Heracles; scary monsters such as the giant one-eyed Cyclops, Polyphemus—who toyed with Trojan War Sailor Odysseus, and the snake-haired temptress, Medusa, who was once loved by ruler of the seas, Poseidon, and so much more—then L.J. Tracossas,’ “Greek Mythology: Adventurous Stories, Fun Facts, Amazing History, and Beyond,”— IS THE BOOK every parent has always wanted for their precocious children who are fascinated in history, geography, myth, legend and magic OR JUST FOR THEMSELVES!!! This book is that good. I love it and will own it for myself!!

Like a good speaker, Tracossas summarizes what will be presented via an outline of major characters and their key attributes. Next the author delves further into the subject of noteworthy legends. Finally, a summary of the Ancient Greek Mythological World is highlighted in an overview. Pronunciation guides are provided throughout the book as are other easy touch user references.

I own numerous books on mythology and this book, “Greek Mythology: Adventurous Stories, Fun Facts, Amazing History, and Beyond,” is absolutely THE BEST, MOST ACCESSIBLE, and EASIEST TO UNDERSTAND of Any that I OWN or have READ.

It’s SIMPLE LANGUAGE and EASILY DIGESTIBLE OUTLINED KEY POINTS MAKE LEARNING and RETAINING FACTS EASY.

Why is it that so many erudite, learned educators insist on creating texts that are dense, meandering and difficult to interpret? Whereas, children’s authors, magazine editors and business writers KNOW that SIMPLICITY and BULLET POINTS are the KEYS to SUCCESSFUL COMMUNICATIONS.

FURTHERMORE, most children’s books automatically feature a “READ ALONG” for young learners. What a shame that this feature isn’t included as a matter of course for all educational content, regardless of the target audience.


JoyReaderGirl1 graciously thanks NetGalley, Author L.J. Tracosas, and Publisher Z Kids
Publishing, an Imprint of Zeitgeist, a Division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York for this advanced reader’s copy (ARC) for review.

I love all types of mythology and any books written about the times. Greek mythology is definitely my favourite and this book did not disappoint!

Greek mythology is known for its risky content, the author cleverly adapts the wording to the content is still there and accessible for younger readers.

Although it is a shorter book, it is jam packed with lots of brilliant information. It has simple language and short stories for each amazing god/goddess in bitesize chunks, perfect for middle grade readers.

The stories themselves are action packed, very dramatic and leaves the reader with good life lessons.

Highly recommend this book!

What I didn't read when I picked up this book, is that it is for children. Yes, I should have realized it from the cover, but, oh well.

It was fun to read even as an adult.
The myths are appropriately written for the age the book is for. Tho, some myths had a few differences from what I had learned in school and/or read, still the author, got the main concept and the lessons each myth is supposed to teach us, mortals.

I enjoyed the writing style and I loved the illustrations.

In the book, the reader can also find a glossary and how to pronounce some Greek names and that's really good for this kind of book.

An absolutely perfect book for mythology lovers of ALL ages!

I cannot wait to grab this one to add to the shelves, and read it to my kids. The illustrations are divine and so beautiful, and the stories are told in a way that's both elegant yet easy to digest.

Greek mythology is what made me fall in love with myths of all kinds, and I am hoping the same for my own children. I truly cannot wait to add this one to my own bookshelf.

thank you so much for the review copy!

This a great beginner book of Greek Mythology. I loved that the stores were short and to the point. Perfect for reading with younger students.

Thank you to NetGalley and Z Kids Publishing for the digital copy.

The illustrations were super cute and I liked that a lot of myths and characters were touched on.

My one critique was the fact that some of the goddesses were described as vain or wicked, and I just feel like it might send the wrong message to kids when the two in particular I noticed were judged for 1. Being annoyed her husband cheated on her and 2. Being forced to marry because she was “too pretty”. It just felt a little weird when the gods also had negative traits but did not get those descriptions.

This was an excellent introduction for new learners. The stories were worded nicely and the illustrations helped picture the legends for younger readers. I have an anthology for grownups but wanted something to share with the kids

In a Nutshell: A great beginner book on Greek Mythology for middle graders. Entertaining and informative.

This illustrated book offers a simple introduction to the characters and some of the popular stories in Greek mythology.
As it is aimed at middle graders, the stories have been slightly diluted to reduce the violence and other mature content. However, these are still the Greek myths and cutting off all problematic content would have meant erasing at least one character entirely. (Looking at you, Zeus – you mythical deviant!) So judge the suitability of the content for your child/classroom with this factor in mind.
The book begins with two helpful introductory notes. The first one is aimed at parents, where the author offers a wonderful suggestion on how to proceed with the book, and some content advisory as well. The second note is for the little readers, and preps them well on what to expect. I loved this dual-note decision, and that the parent’s note was placed *before* the one for kids.
The main content is divided into six sections. The first section offers a brief introduction of the key characters and to the mythological realm. Each bio contains the name of the god (first the Olympians and then some minor gods), the pronunciation guide of the name, their role, and some interesting trivia about them. I would have loved all the bios to be accompanied by illustrations depicting the god. Other than that, this section was interesting. It could be a good type of ‘ready reckoner’ for Greek Gods.
The next section goes into the story of the initial creation, telling us of how Cronus and later, Zeus, took charge. The remaining four sections focus on famous stories of the gods and the mighty mortals. We get the popular stories such as Theseus and the Minotaur, the adventures of Heracles, the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice, of Persephone and Hades. There are also a few not-so-known ones such as the story of Bellerophon and Pegasus. All the stories are self-contained and highly diluted, so while they are complete, they also feel rushed. But for an introductory level, these tales would work well. Kids could read up more on whatever character or story caught their fascination.
There are some simple thought-provoking questions addressed to the kids after each story. There are also many fun facts about the gods strewn along the way.
There is a detailed glossary at the end, along with a list of references for further study.
The stories have some beautiful colourful illustrations, though not as many as I would have liked. But whatever artwork is there is gorgeous.
The author has made the language and the content quite child-friendly, with some humorous remarks and observations along the way. This book is as simplified as a children’s book on the Greek myths could possibly be. There are too many characters to remember, though this isn’t the books fault.
The official target age is given as 6-9 years, but I don’t see how a 6 year old will get some of the trickier stories. I feel that the book will work better for middle-graders (8-12 years.) It can also serve as an interesting reference book for adults who want an easy way out towards learning Greek mythology.
4 stars.
My thanks to Zeitgeist and NetGalley for the DRC of “Ultimate Greek Mythology”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Mythology is a fascinating subject. This ultimate guide to to Greek Mythology is informational and easy-to-read. Very reader friendly and a good introductory to the world of Greek mythology. The illustrations are also beautiful!

Book Review: Ultimate Greek Mythology by L. J. Tracosas, Charli Vince (Illustrator)

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Embark on a captivating journey to the enchanting world of Greek mythology in Ultimate Greek Mythology by L. J. Tracosas, with stunning illustrations by Charli Vince. Perfect for kids aged 6 to 9, this book combines fascinating myths, fun facts, and vibrant visuals to create an immersive experience that will captivate readers of all ages.

The book introduces young readers to the mythical realm of Mount Olympus, where the gods and goddesses reside. Through engaging storytelling, children will become acquainted with the mighty Zeus, the radiant Apollo, the fierce Poseidon, the alluring Aphrodite, and the unpredictable Dionysus. They will discover how these deities shaped the destinies of humans and the world as a whole.

But the journey doesn't end there. Ultimate Greek Mythology also delves deep into the mysterious Underworld, ruled by Hades. Within this mythological realm, readers will encounter action-packed adventures, dramatic narratives, and valuable life lessons. The book reveals that even mortals can achieve godlike endings, that deities are far from perfect, and that even monsters can be capable of love.

One of the standout features of this book is its visually stunning graphics. The cover alone is a colorful and eye-catching masterpiece that draws readers in at first glance. As they delve deeper into the pages, they'll find themselves surrounded by beautiful illustrations that bring the myths to life. The attention to detail and the vibrant colors make every page a visual feast.

However, Ultimate Greek Mythology is not just a treat for the eyes; it is also a treasure trove of knowledge. Packed with facts and information about Greek mythology, readers will gain a comprehensive understanding of the gods, demigods, monsters, and more. The book goes beyond storytelling and incorporates discussion questions and "Did You Know" sections that engage readers and encourage further exploration.

As someone who appreciates mythology, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The combination of captivating stories and educational content made it a delight to flip through. Whether you are a young reader eager to explore the wonders of Greek mythology or an adult seeking to revisit these timeless tales, Ultimate Greek Mythology is sure to be a hit. It is a perfect blend of entertainment and education that will leave mythology lovers of all ages satisfied.

In conclusion, Ultimate Greek Mythology is a must-have addition to any mythology enthusiast's collection. With its captivating stories, stunning illustrations, and wealth of information, it provides an immersive experience that both educates and entertains. From muses and heroes to fantastical beasts and creatures, this book brings the rich tapestry of Greek mythology to life in a way that will enchant readers for years to come.

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

Thanks to Netgalley and Zeitgeist for access to this Arc in exchange for my honest review.

If you are fascinated by Greek mythology like me, this book is for you. I always forget the names and stories but I've always loved Greek (and Roman) mythology. This book targets kids, with simple language, short stories for each Greek god/goddess/character. However, I think even adults curious about mythology will love it.