Young Zeus (edition 2010)

Tells the story of Zeus and how he became the leader of the Greek gods. Zeus was the youngest and worked to save his siblings from the stomach of their father. Great for students who are interested in greek mythology or who have read Rick Riordan's series. ( )

Young Zeus is an interesting take on how Zeus came to be the lead god amongst his brothers and sisters. It is a good introduction without getting into the gritty details of Greek Mythology. It related the story of Zeus to regular children by adding feelings of loneliness and family troubles. Zeus is the youngest child and often feels that he is not being listened to. Educational and students will most likely relate it to the Disney movie, Hercules. The illustrations depict Zeus as a young boy. Appropriate for 2nd through 4th grade students. It would be a good book to read if students have questions about mythology. ( )

This book is a little gruesome, and characters might be better for an older student. Illustrations are large yet descriptive.

This book tells the story of how Zeus became the supreme ruler of the heavens and earth. Zeus was the only child spared from being eaten by his father and after he grew up he went to save his older siblings. After they were out of the father's stomach, they were attacked by the Titans. Zeus went to the underworld and was given the ability to throw lightning bolts. He conquered the Titans and he and his siblings were able to go live on Mt. Olympus together.
Genre: Myth
Critique: This book is a good example of a myth because it presents the Greek god Zeus and his god and goddess siblings and how he rose to power over them. This book tries to explain how Zeus became the god of heaven and earth in the very distant past.
Critique of Setting:
The setting of this book is integral to the story. This plot of this book could only take place in the setting of the heavens because of the Greek gods and creatures. In another setting, the story would be totally out of place. ( )

This book goes through Zeus's childhood, who his parents were his brothers and sisters and how he became "king of the gods". This is a good book to use with younger students being introduced to mythology. ( )