Young Zeus

I really enjoyed Young Zeus, it is a great read for young readers with cute illustrations throughout and the art goes well with the cultural theme. The theme tells readers that together you can conquer more than you can alone.

Zeus is lonely, hiding out on an island and cared for by his magical goat. He wants other gods/goddesses to play with. The goat tells him about his siblings, who were swallowed when they were born so that they wouldn't overthrow their father. (Zeus' mom tricked Z's dad, so he swallowed a rock instead.) His mom visits and helps him come up with a plan to free his siblings. He forces Cronus to drink some foul liquid and regurgitate the 5 siblings. Then, with his grandmother Gaia's help, he frees his uncles and aunts in the underworld so they help him overthrow the murderous Titans who are going after Zeus because Z overthrew Cronus. Zeus proves his godliness when he uses some thunderbolts one of his uncles gave him to strike down the show more Titans. Peace is restored, and Zeus is given the throne.

Lots of violence in this myth! You have Cronus eating his children whole; Uranus taking his imperfect kids (Cyclopses and Hundred-Handed) and imprisoning them in the underworld because he's ashamed of them; the gods/goddesses attacking their own father to dethrone him, and of course the big battle where Zeus electrocutes everyone.

Ultimately the "good guys" do win. Cronus gets his when his children are freed from his stomach and they attack him. He loses his throne and winds up imprisoned in the underworld. His misshapen children are also freed from the underworld and help their nephew (Zeus) defeat the snobby Titans.

Honestly, I think the amount of violence in myths from that time was to be expected. Life was very violent and gory back in the day. People were also drawn in and excited by these action-filled, suspenseful conflicts!

The myth reflects its cultural origins with the names, places, and artwork that permeates the story. I'm not terribly versed in Greek mythology—I've only taught The Odyssey once, and I was as lost as the kids with a lot of it—but I did recognize several of the stories and characters in this tale that have shown up in others. The value it seems to be trying to impart is that every person, no matter their stature or age, is capable of great things, and that cleverness is also a respected trait. (Several of the characters tricked others.)

What I do find highly interesting is how classic aspects of this myth is. An orphaned boy who is hidden from the world because people want him dead -- most people might think of Harry Potter, not Zeus. There are also shades of the Christian origins of Jesus here, since Jesus was also concealed as a baby to keep him from being killed by a powerful political leader. It's kind of interesting to see how certain aspects have crossed times and cultures. show less

This would be good for grades 2-4.

It breaks down the origins of Zeus really well. Zeus saves his siblings.

This is a good introduction to Greek gods but also conveys the importance of family even if it’s a bit wonky.

Karas has created a lively, engaging, and accessible retelling of the early life of Zeus for younger and/or less experienced readers. The playful text and imaginative illustrations are amusing and delightful. Told from the perspective of Amaltheia, the enchanted she-goat, caregiver of Young Zeus, readers are treated to a close-up, tongue-in-cheek view of the Western literary world’s most famous dysfunctional family. A list of Greek gods is provided at the beginning of the book.

I picked this book because it's about mythology and that's one of my favorite topics. I love how there is an information page before you start reading and its a list of the characters and how they're related to one another. If a good source of information if you aren't familiar with Greek Mythology in the first place. It's a sweet tale about how Zeus came to power by freeing his brothers and sisters and defeating his father. It's accurate to the point of being appropriate to young children but I really enjoyed it and the illustrations were very cute.

Young Zeus by G. Brian Karas is a brilliant way to expose young children to the exciting world of mythology. A young Zeus is featured in this tale, along with one-eyed Cyclopes, giants, Hundred-Handers with 50 heads, a dragon, a talking goat and a war of the Greek gods! The cartoon-like illustrations of the characters outfitted with the typical clothing the young Greek gods are wearing, along with the oversized caricatures of the antagonistic monsters exposes children to the childhood Zeus must have experienced. To protect her son from his evil father, Zeus’ mom leaves him on the island of Crete with Amaltheia, the enchanted she-goat. The evil Cronus has eaten all of Zeus’ siblings and was given a rock wrapped in a blanket, the show more disguise for Zeus, to eat. Zeus eventually finds out from his mother, who has watched him from afar, where all his family is and why she left him on the island. She arms her son with a vial and a plan to free his siblings and do away with his father. This adventure plays out and Zeus is successful, but stirs up some sibling rivalry in the process. As a result, Zeus becomes the ruler of heaven and earth and divides the responsibilities up between his siblings. “And thus began fun and order on Mount Olypmus.” The book features a “Cast of Characters” page which gives an illustration and written description of all characters, as well as the correct pronunciation of their names, so readers can become familiar with the information prior to reading the story. This book is unique in that there are not many children's books out there that deal with mythology and so much fun could be had with this topic. show less

I wish all of Greek mythology was this wholesome and simple. Young Zeus was adorable and a fantastic read (I'm biased because I love anything and everything to do with Greek mythology). The full page illustrations are wonderful and filled with great detail. The text was clear and easy to follow. If the story didn't include Cronus eating Zeus' siblings I would even recommend this for a younger audience. This would be a great book to read aloud.