Heather+Olinger

Early Childhood Bibliography, Greek Mythology

Heather Olinger

ECD 418

October 11, 2013

Children’s Fiction

Arrow and the Lamp

Psyche, a beautiful young mortal enrages Aphrodite, a beautiful goddess, with jealousy. She sends her son Eros to make her fall in love with a monster, but instead Eros falls in love with her. They wed and live in a palace together and she is treated like a queen, until she disobeys and Eros is forced to leave her. Psyche searches for him and eventually finds his mother Aphrodite. She tells Psyche she can have her husband if she completes a task thought to be impossible. Psyche completes it, as well as the next three tasks given to her. Finally Eros and Psyche are able to be together again and Zeus turns her into a goddess.

These stories could be used while talking about morals. This myth has morals in it so it would be an interesting way to read about both good and bad morals. This would also be a good fairytale book. It is whimsical and well-illustrated making the reader feel like they are part of the story.

Hodges, Margaret (1989). Arrow and the Lamp. Little, Brown and Company. 28. Tempe Public Library.

Arrow to the Sun

This is a story of boy on a journey to find his father. He goes to many people asking where his father is. Finally one sends him to the sun and the boy finds his father. After enduring four tests the father accepts his son, gives him power, and sends him back down to earth. It is amazingly illustrated with vibrant pictures. The pages are completely covered with color and some pages have pictures with no words.

This story sounds similar to how the Greek myths are told, but in a Pueblo Indian version. While learning about myths, it would be great to read this as a read aloud whether you are leaning solely about Greek mythology or just myths in general. The fact that the artwork is so unique would make this book a good choice to read if you are learning about art and illustrations.

McDermott, Gerald. (1974) Arrow to the Sun. The Viking Press. 36. Scottsdale Public Library.

Atalanta’s Race

Atalanta was a daughter of a king who was abandoned in the forest. She was rescued and raised by a hunter in the forest and became an excellent runner. She traveled to Olympia where she showed her skills in contests, for she was not able to compete in the Olympics since she was a female. The king, her father, saw her and they realized she was his daughter so she stayed with him in the castle. Then Atalanta prepared a contest to find a man to wed. Many men lined up to accept the challenge but all failed. That is until Melanion completed the race and won her heart. The two did not give thanks to the goddess of love, resulting in them being turned into a lion and lioness.

This would be a good story to use if learning about being thankful. There are many instances where characters showed how they were grateful for what they had, but in the end they were punished for not giving thanks. This would be a good fairytale book. It is whimsical and well-illustrated making the reader feel like they are part of the story.

Climo, Shirley. (1995) Atlanta’s Race. Clarion Books. 31. Tempe Public Library.

Greek Gods and Goddesses

This is a compilation of fifteen stories about Greek gods and goddesses. Starting with the story of the Titans and Olympians, the author goes through many of the gods using stories rather than just facts. Each story being only a few pages long, the author uses dialogue and few pictures to capture the lives and meaning of the gods. This book provides a fun way to learn about the myths given the informational context, but still has the element of a children’s story. Some stories contain somewhat graphic details of the occurrences so reading the story yourself prior to reading it to children is important.

These stories could be used while talking about morals. Most of the myths have morals in them so this would be an interesting way to read about both good and bad morals. This book can also be used while learning about folktales.

McCaughrean, Geraldine (1998). Greek Gods and Goddesses. Margaret K. McElderry. 112. Scottsdale Public Library.

Songs to Demeter

Persephone, a beautiful young lady, lived with her mother Demeter, the goddess of harvest, who loved her very much. One day, she was taken by the god of the underworld to live with him. Distraught, her mother searched for until she finally went to Zeus for help. When they learned of her whereabouts Zeus made a deal with the god of the underworld, Persephone would live with her mom as long as she does not eat any food from the underworld. Persephone came back, but was tricked into eating four seeds from the underworld. Zeus made a new deal; Persephone had to live in the underworld one month for every seed she ate. Angry that her daughter would have to leave four months at a time, Demeter caused famines during that time period. This is how the Ancient Greeks believe the seasons began.

This would be a great story while learning about seasons. This is how the Ancient Greeks believe the seasons came about. You can also relate this book to family. Demeter proves she will go to extreme circumstances to get her daughter back.

Birrer, Cynthia and William (1987). Songs to Demeter. Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books. 30. Tempe Public Library.

Tales from Around the World

This begins by explaining how Greek mythology is all around us to this day; references are made on a daily basis without us even recognizing it most of the time. It goes on to tell five different stories of Greek gods and goddesses. Included in these stories are: Circe, Midas, Arachne, and Orpheus. With large, colorful pictures throughout the book, each story ranges from eight to twelve pages long.

These stories could be used while talking about morals. Most of the myths have morals in them so this would be an interesting way to read about both good and bad morals. This book can also be used while learning about folktales.

Hull, Robert. (1994) Tales from Around the World. Thomson Learning. 48. Tempe Public Library.

The Hero and the Minotaur

This adventurous story is about a Prince named Theseus and his journey to become a hero. While on his journey, Theseus meets the brave Princess Ariadne, and an extraordinary boy named Icarus. The three of them set out on voyage to slay the awful monster, the Minotaur. The three encounter many adventures which make for a great story of friendship, loyalty, and bravery.

This book could be used if talking about friendship or family. It has great examples of how to treat friends and family and to stay loyal. It is also a good book for a read aloud but may take two sittings.

Byrd, Robert (2005). The Hero and the Minotaur. Penguin Group. 36. Tempe Public Library.

The Race of the Golden Apples

This beautifully illustrated story is about Atalanta; a Greek princess that was raised in the forest. She will only marry someone that can prove he can outrun her, which many men find to be impossible. They run through the forest and encounter many dangers that lead them to failure. Finally the hero Hippomenes takes the challenge and is willing to risk his life. The goddess of love gives him three golden apples to help him on his journey; which he happily completes successfully.

This would be a good fairytale book. It is whimsical and well-illustrated making the reader feel like they are part of the story. This could also be tied into learning about family. It could be a good example of how not all families are the same and we all have unique ways of living life.

Martin, Claire. (1991) The Race of the Golden Apples. Dial Books for Young Readers. 28. Tempe Public Library.

The Way to Start a Day

This Caldecott Honor is an extremely unique book. It is written in poem form and explains how you should start your day every morning. It goes through different cultures and what you might see there the first thing in the morning. The exceptional illustrations are energetic and with a little imagination, they portray the concepts well.

This is a great option for a read loud the first thing in the morning. It is almost peaceful to read and makes you want to appreciate the day. Another time it would be good to read this book is while learning about cultures. It mentions multiple different places with pictures that capture the cultures quite beautifully.

Baylor, Byrd. (1977) The Way to Start a Day. Macmillan Publishing Company. 27. Scottsdale Public Library.

Theseus and the Minotaur

Setting out on an adventure to kill a monster, Theseus travels from Athens to Crete. When he gets there he meets the king’s daughter, Ariadne, who decides she wants to help him. She shows Theseus how to kill the Minotaur in exchange for him to marry her. Together they kill the beast and begin to travel back to Athens. Theseus knows it is not safe for Ariadne to come back with him so he leaves her on the island, with pure intent to come back for her. Upon his arrival home he learns that his father had died, thinking that Theseus had died. Theseus created a monument for his father and was crowned king of Athens.

This would be a good book for a read aloud because it is a decent length and has great illustrations. Other than a read loud, this book does not provide much depth and would be difficult to relate to other subject areas.

Hutton, Warwick (1989). Theseus and the Minotaur. Margaret K. McElderry. 30. Tempe Public Library.

Children’s Nonfiction

Athena

This book begins by giving a brief summary of the history of mythology and the gods. It explains how Athena, the goddess of wisdom, war, and the useful arts was born of Zeus and became one of his favorite daughters. Also, it tells why Athens was named after her and how the people built the Parthenon in honor of her. The book goes on to describe inventions that Athena made that we still use to this day and how she has impacted our modern world.

This would be a good book to use while learning about ancient architecture. The Parthenon is a famous structure in Greece and this book talks about how it was made for Athena. Athena also “invented” many items that we still use today; so if learning about any of those inventions, it could be fun to read about how a Greek god invented them.

Loewen, Nancy. (1999) Athena. Capstone Press. 48. Scottsdale Public Library.

Dionysus

This book about Dionysus is an interesting mix between facts and stories. The author carefully made stories to tell the life of Dionysus, the god of wine. It takes you from the birth of the god to the people he was close to. It goes on to describe the festivals of Dionysus; from when and where the festivals were held, to the types of celebrations and activities that occurred. The book ends with the journeys the god took throughout his life. In each chapter, there is a “F.Y.I” page where the author wrote facts about the specific topic of that chapter.

The first story in this book is about Dionysus being captured by pirates, so if you are studying pirates it might be a fun, different way to read about them. Another time to read from this book could be if you are studying ancient festivals. There is a chapter in this book dedicated to the festival of Dionysus in which it explains the traditions they had in ancient Greece.

Roberts, Russell. (2008) Dionysus. Mitchell Lane Publishers. 48. Scottsdale Public Library.

Hades

Starting off with a quick overview of Hates, this book goes into all the details about Hades life. After a brief summary of mythology in general, it discusses many aspects of the god of the Underworld’s life including his birth and how he got to the underworld. It also describes the underworld; how people get there and what happens down there. It ends with people that Hades encounters and relationships he had.

The books also mentions how mythology is still prevalent today so if you are learning about any of the examples it gives, it would be fun to see how they stemmed from myths. Also, it discusses the underworld; therefore if you are leaning about afterlife, this would be an informative resource on how the Ancient Greeks viewed the afterlife.

Richardson, Adele (2003). Hades. Capstone Press. 24. Tempe Public Library.

Gods and Goddesses

This informational gives excellent detail about the Greek gods, but is written as a children’s story. It starts from the beginning; how Cronos overthrew his father Chaos, and how Zeus overthrew Cronos. It explains the journeys and time periods of the myths. Throughout the book are pages with strictly information text about how we know about the myths, the temples and gifts for the gods, women in Ancient Greek society, festivals, and the cults, oracles and magic that the Ancient Greeks believed in. Embedded within the informational texts are stories about the Greek myths.

This would be a good resource for a history lesson. It has good information about Ancient Greece, religions, and festivals and also includes real pictures of statues and artifacts. Another way to use this book would be while learning about famous poets; it has information about Homer and Hesiod.

Malam, John (1999). Gods and Goddesses. Peter Bedrick Books. 48. Tempe Public Library.

Hercules

This book is about Hercules, a son of Zeus that didn’t become a god until after he died. It goes through his birth and his family as well as the command the Oracle of Delphi gave him. The book then explains Hercules’ 12 labors and what he had to do to be forgiven. The book ends with how Hercules became a god and then a slight mention of how mythology is still prevalent today.

This can be directly related to the Disney movie Hercules. The book would explain where Hercules came from and what parts of the movie actually come from Greek mythology. Also, if you are studying the solar system, there is a page explaining that the names of planets come from Greek mythology.

Richardson, Adele D. (2003) Hercules. Capstone Press. 24. Scottsdale Public Library.

Zeus

This book begins by explaining Greek and Roman mythology; why ancient Greeks created the myths, different types of myths, and a quick explanation of Zeus. The book then goes into the life of Zeus. It explains how he was born and the battle he fought to overthrow his father and become the ruler of the heavens. Zeus’ wives and children are named and given a short description of how they were married or born, their personality, and what the control. The book ends with a few short stories about Zeus and how you can see inspiration of mythology in the modern world.

The beginning of this book would be useful while learning about history between Greece and Rome. It explains that the Romans conquered Greece around 100 B.C. The books also mentions how mythology is still prevalent today so if you are learning about any of the examples it gives, it would be fun to see how they stemmed from myths.

Loewen, Nancy. (1999) Zeus. Capstone Press. 48. Scottsdale Public Library.

Teacher Resource

Gods and Goddesses

This informational gives excellent detail about the Greek gods, but is written as a children’s story. It starts from the beginning; how Cronos overthrew his father Chaos, and how Zeus overthrew Cronos. It explains the journeys and time periods of the myths. Throughout the book are pages with strictly information text about how we know about the myths, the temples and gifts for the gods, women in Ancient Greek society, festivals, and the cults, oracles and magic that the Ancient Greeks believed in. Embedded within the informational texts are stories about the Greek myths.

This would be a good resource for a history lesson. It has good information about Ancient Greece, religions, and festivals and also includes real pictures of statues and artifacts. Another way to use this book would be while learning about famous poets; it has information about Homer and Hesiod.

Malam, John (1999). Gods and Goddesses. Peter Bedrick Books. 48. Tempe Public Library.

Life in a Greek Temple

This informational text focuses on life in Ancient Greece. It goes through many aspects of ancient Greek life including temples; how they were built, how they were decorated inside, priests and priestesses, and working in the temple. It also goes through religious festivities, what they ate and drank (it even gives directions on how to cook Kebabs), and the Olympic games. This book does not go very far in depth so it would be good for young children to learn about Ancient Greece. It also contains a glossary in the back which is helpful to learn the Greek terms at a quick glance.

This is a good resource book for learning about Ancient Greece. It covers many topics but is written in short paragraphs with many pictures so it would be easy for young children to read. Also, it would be good for studying history in general. It has many interesting facts and really paints a picture of what it looked like in Ancient Greece.

Shuter, Jane. (2005) Life in a Greek Temple. Heinemann Library. 32. Scottsdale Public Library.

Myths and Civilization of the Ancient Greeks

This highly informational book is filled with solid content. It has many facts about Ancient Greece including information about many different time periods. It also discusses in short scripts Greek religion, their daily life, and clothing and jewelry. It goes on with more about the agriculture, what they had for entertainment, wars they encountered, and their transport and trade. Between each section there are stories about the Greek myths. It is a perfect combination of facts about Ancient Greece and stories of their myths.

This would be perfect while learning about history. It has many facts about many topics concerning Ancient Greece. If you are studying any of the topics this book addresses (i.e. transport, trade, religion, clothes, etc.), you could use this book to see how that topic has changed over the years.

Martell, Hazel. (1998) Myths and Civilization of the Ancient Greeks. Peter Bedrick Books, Inc. 43. Tempe Public Library.

The Gods and Goddesses of Olympus

This book begins by explaining how the ancient Greek myths began and why people believed them. The author, Aliki, describes in her own way how Olympus was created and how each Greek god and goddess got their thrones there. She goes through many of the gods and goddesses and in a short description tells you about them. At the top of each page it lists the name of the god, what they rule, and who they were born of. In the brief summary, the author tells us where they live, their temperament, whether or not they marry and have children, and their special abilities. The book is filled with bright illustrations that help you imagine the beauty and darkness of the ancient gods and goddesses.

This would be a fun read aloud. It is not necessarily written as a story, but the facts are well written and the illustrations make it interesting to look at. Due to it strictly talking about the Greek gods and goddesses, there are not any other topics or subjects that this book could be used for.

Aliki (1997). The Gods and Goddesses of Olympus. HarperCollins. 48. Scottsdale Public Library.

The Olympians

This book first explains a basic overview of what Mount Olympus is and who ruled it. It goes on to describe each of the twelve gods and goddesses that lived there. Each page is dedicated to just one god and gives a brief description of what they ruled, their unique capabilities, and who their parents were. There is a large picture of each god and some have the symbol which represents them. The last page of the book is a family tree, making for an easy overview of where the twelve Olympians came from.

This would be a fun read aloud. It is not necessarily written as a story, but the facts are well written and the illustrations make it interesting to look at. Due to it strictly talking about the Greek gods and goddesses, there are not any other topics or subjects that this book could be used for.

Fisher, Leonard (1984). The Olympians. Holiday House. 26. Tempe Public Library.