Z is for Zeus: A Greek Mythology Alphabet

This is primarily a picture book, but also has elements of poetry and history. Each letter has a small poem associated with it, having to do with some aspect of Greek mythology that goes with that letter. I didn't think that the poetry aspect of the book was any good at all. However, also on each page there were larger descriptions of things mentioned in the poem and/or drawn on the pages. These descriptions were a bit better, as they gave interesting information about Greek mythology, including about the relationships between the gods, and specific Greek myths (such as P is for Pandora's Box...). If a kid is really interested in Greek mythology, they may like this book, otherwise I wouldn't recommend it. Also, I'm sure there are better show more Greek mythology books to recommend to kids anyway. show less

Z is for Zeus is a fun poetic cataloging of some of the most famous Greek stories and characters. Each page brings another letter and poem mixing information and comedy to these famous Greek myths. I really liked the added information on each page detailing the characters or events that each poem is about, creating further interest for both children and adults. This is a great introduction to Greek mythology for readers of most any age.

The author and illustrator skillfully uses authentic story and art in a fun way to introduce ancient Greece to children. The author shows us that Greek influence is all around us, in our words, stories, names, and even our alphabet. She explains that by reading and studying myths our understanding of these words, stories, names, and meanings will begin to make more sense.

This book has really great drawings! There is a lot of good information that was made easy for kids to understand.

This book has great pictures and offers just enough information about the Greek myths, gods/goddesses, heroes, and other supernatural creatures and such.

This book can be used with children for sure. When teaching a mythology unit this is a MUST HAVE. The wonderful poetry can be used as a model for fabulous works and a way to link content areas to the learnings.

Age Appropriateness: Primary, Intermediate
Genre: Myths and Legends
Review: This book is a great introduction to Greek mythology for a wide range of ages. It is an accurate record of mythological characters and it displays this information in two ways. The first is in a way that primary students could read and understand and the second goes into more detail and could be comprehended by intermediate students.