Beasts of Olympus
by Lucy Coates
★★★★
Review
This was a brilliant read to hook my Year 4 class in to the topic of Ancient Greeks. They found it really fun to read and were laughing out loud throughout the book. At first, I was a little worried about how much toilet humour features in the story, however the children seemed to love this and I didn't bat an eyelid after a few chapters.
As well as being fun, this book is an excellent way to introduce children to a range of Greek Gods and mythical creatures, with mentions of Hephaestus, Zeus, Pandemonium and Aphrodite and creatures such as the Nemean lion, hydras, Cattle of the Sun and the Cretan bull.
There is also plenty of Ancient Greek-specific vocabulary and is therefore a great resource for teachers and parents.
My class were hooked by the end of Beast Keeper and many went on to read the rest of the Beasts of Olympus series (winner, winner!)
Dive Deeper
Key information
Author: Lucy Coates
Illustrator: David Roberts
Release Date: 1st January 2015
Book type: Chapter, 192 pages, paperback
Reader level: Growing (content 6+)
Overview
A boy is reunited with his long-lost father, the Greek god Pan, only to find himself taken to the kingdom of the gods.
What begins as just another ordinary day for Demon ends up being far from normal . . . because travelling on a rainbow to Mount Olympus is a bit odd for anyone, even if your dad is the Greek god Pan! When he arrives, Demon is in for a shock. The stables are full of mythical beasts like the flatulent Cattle of the Sun and a very grumpy Griffin. All Demon's animal husbandry skills, polished on his mother's farm on Earth, are going to be put to a rather exacting test as he tries to sort out the chaos and deal with the upset and concern of the gods. Can the stableboy help the Nemean lion that Heracles has hurt, and avoid incurring Hera's wrath if he can't heal her pet Hydra . . .
The first in a delightful action-packed series, acclaimed writer Lucy Coats uses her original and funny voice to bring to life the gods, goddesses and mythical beasts of the ancient Greek pantheon.
Should I read this book?
You should read this book if you...
Are learning about Ancient Greece
Like jokes about poo!
Love mythical creatures
Reader level: Growing
Content: 6+
Help me read
- Greece: A country in Europe
- Olympus: The place where Greek Gods were believed to live
- Zeus: Greek God of Thunder
- Hydra: A huge snake-like monster with many heads
- Chute: A passage way that helps things to move (like a tunnel)
Add comment
Comments