Katherine Marsh's Favorite Greek Mythology Books for Young Readers

New York Times

a day ago

Growing up, I thought my family was weird. But my hippie parents and their nasty 'Kramer vs. Kramer'-era divorce were nothing compared with Olympian family dysfunction. When Zeus fears a new baby will usurp him, he tricks his pregnant wife Metis into turning herself into a fly, then swallows her. Problem solved … until he gets the world's worst migraine and gives birth to his full-grown daughter Athena, goddess of wisdom, from his head.
Greek mythology is filled with adults behaving badly. When I was a child, these petty, manipulative deities made much more emotional sense to me than some remote Judeo-Christian god. Same for my own children: When my now teenage son was 4, he memorably declared, 'Our god is Zeus.'
Another aspect of the tales that appeals to young readers is their disregard for logic. (How did Athena fit in Zeus' head? She just did.) And they're deliciously subversive. Long before all the fuss over 'pregnant people,' the king of the gods himself gave birth, by Zeusarian section!
Greek myths are having a moment — one that has lasted 2,700 years. Their rich and varied sources make them endlessly adaptable and relatable. Which means there's a book out there that tells, or retells, these strange and wonderful stories for virtually every age group. Here are some of my favorites.
D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths
I still don't know what made me fall so hard as a child for this collection. Was it my trippy association of the d'Aulaires' drawing of the sea monster Cetus (with her large, howling mouth) with Robert Crumb's cover art for Janis Joplin's 'Cheap Thrills'? Or was it the Henri Rousseau-inflected oversize blooms and stalks of wheat in the image of Demeter's joyous reunion with her daughter Persephone? Regardless, the book is my first-line recommendation for even very young children for its age-appropriate abridgment and future madeleine de Proust illustrations. (Ages 6 and up)
Beasts of Olympus
Ready to apply some of that basic knowledge to a playful series for early readers? The Beasts of Olympus books by the British Coats tell the story of 11-year-old Pandemonius (a.k.a. Demon), the demigod son of Pan, who is given the job of taking care of the Olympians' magical and monstrous creatures. Like Dr. Doolittle, Demon can speak to the animals, but that doesn't make it easier to deal with the toll inflicted on them by Heracles performing his labors. (Ages 7 to 9)
Greeking Out
If you are the parent of an elementary schooler obsessed with Greek myths, you probably already know 'Greeking Out,' a hugely popular podcast hosted by the children's radio veteran Curtis and his daughter, Hughes. (If you don't, consider it your next road trip go-to.) The podcast has spawned a series of books that take an equally deep dive into the stories — in the same antic, kid-friendly style. I'm particularly fond of the Oracle of Wi-Fi, who pops onto the page to give extra context: Did you know that 'meter' is the ancient Greek word for 'mother'? (Ages 8 to 12)
Echo Echo: Reverso Poems About Greek Myths
Speaking of meter, in the Homeric age Greek myths were recited or sung as metric poetry. The picture book 'Echo Echo' presents two interpretations of each tale using the reverso form. This free verse style, in which a poem is read top to bottom and then bottom to top, invites readers of any age to wrestle with the questions myths raise. In 'Pandora and the Box,' for instance, are humans 'weak' for succumbing to curiosity or (if we start with Singer's last lines) noble for 'holding on to hope'? (Ages 6 and up)
She Speaks
Much has been made of the recent trend of Greek myth retellings that amplify girls' and women's voices. It has bugged me, ever since I was a child, that Ariadne saved Theseus' life with her thread positioning system (TPS?) but he got all the glory for killing the Minotaur. For young readers who share my irritation, the classicist Cargill-Martin's illustrated compendium gives famous — and infamous — female characters the chance to take credit as heroines, warriors and iconoclasts. Behold how Ariadne leans into her own performance review: 'A monster has been defeated, and 14 innocent lives have been saved — because of me.' (Ages 8 to 12)
Olympians
Greek myths are adaptable not only to changing sensibilities, but also to changing mediums. In the graphic novel realm, the generation weaned on the Marvel Universe will find much to love in O'Connor's 12-book series. He faithfully depicts the origin stories and exploits of the major gods and goddesses, but in the style and language of classic superhero comics. Like any mother of a teenage daughter with a newly acquired goth boyfriend, Demeter rages to Persephone, 'If that gloomy creep thinks he'll ever see you again, he's got another think coming!' (Ages 10 and up)
The Iliad and The Odyssey
For those who prefer a less hard-boiled treatment, the adaptations by Hinds of the 'Iliad' and the 'Odyssey' are terrific graphic introductions to Homer's foundational epics of war and homecoming. Hinds hews to the ancient story lines while using accessible but not overly modern or simplified language. Odysseus's men 'cast lots' and he battles the 'pack of arrogant suitors.' Hinds's illustrations, meanwhile, transmit the original tone: Wordless panels of Odysseus adrift after Poseidon crushes his raft bring the terrifying power of the 'wine-dark' sea to life. (Ages 12 and up)
Amber & Clay
Adaptations and retellings abound, but rare is the writer who spins Greek-myth yarns into a completely new tale. Enter the Newbery medalist Schlitz with 'Amber & Clay,' her sweeping meditation on life, death and Socratic philosophy. The story centers on Rhaskos, an enslaved boy, and Melisto, a wealthy, rebellious girl, whose fates intertwine with mortals, gods and each other in ancient Greece. Schlitz captures the pathos of the human condition for middle grade and young adult readers. With its pitch-perfect classical tone, her tapestry of poetry and prose is as artful and dazzling as anything Athena herself might weave. (Ages 10 and up)