Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Houle. Gods and Goddesses in Greek Mythology Rock!


Houle, Michelle M.      Gods and Goddesses in Greek Mythology Rock!     Enslow      2011  112p  31.93 978-0-7660-3897-4      
 ms/hs VG-BNS            Collection of ten Greek myths.      
    Nine Greek myths, which run the gamut from the war between the Titans and the Olympians, Prometheus and Earth’s first inhabitants, to Pandora’s box, and Demeter and Pesephone, are highlighted in this slender volume.  Each of these are accompanied by eye-catching stippled illustrations by William Bock, a question and answer section, and expert commentary. 

While the retelling of the myths is not remarkable, the commentary offers readers food for thought.  These provide excellent springboards for discussions and further study or research papers.  The question sections are also fine tools to test reading comprehension or essay prompts for quizzes and reviews. 

The preface provides a comprehensive introduction to the study and history of Greek mythology.  The chart of the major gods and goddesses, while stylish, is not very useful to newcomers to the genre.  More useful are the suggested websites and additional reading list. 

This is a solid addition to any library collection.

Additional note: While the endpapers are an unremarkable white, observant readers will note that the paper for each chapter is color-coded; the result is a “rainbow” when the page edges are viewed properly.
      Mythology Rocks! (Enslow)           1. Gods, Greek - Juvenile literature. 2. Goddesses, Greek -- Juvenile literature.  3. Mythology, Greek -- Juvenile literature.     Hilary Welliver
 

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