The stories surrounding the Greek gods and goddesses and heroes are varied and interesting. Reading a variety of sources for the stories, you get a unique perspective on each one of them. Greek Gods & Heroes: 40 inspiring icons, by Sylvie Baussier, is one of those books that gives you a different perspective on each of the 40 famous figures she explores.

In the introduction, the influences of Greek mythology on history and history on mythology are explored a bit. Mythology and history are intertwined and have been for over 2,500 years. These gods tell the history of the Greek people and their achievements through story and idea. The adventures that are recounted in the mythology explain creation, nature, and life to the people. The mythology has brought untold inspiration across the years and this book brings the most famous of the gods, heroes, and monsters together.

From Zeus and Oedipus to Poseidon, Cronus, and Minotaur, these Greek figures are interesting and enlightening. Each figure is featured in a two-page spread.  This gives a short background on the figure and then lines out the family tree. There is a drawing of the figure that incorporates important items or figures from the myth. Each of the important items is defined and the significance is declared. The names by which the figure is known are included, as well as the Roman name by which this figure is known. In addition to all of this, there are several boxes that each hold a different and unique part of the figure’s life and how it influenced the story.

Taking a look at each figure through their genealogy, friends, enemies, history, and other parts of their story brings each of them to life. The images are done by Almasty and are decidedly different but intriguing. You want to study the computer generated images as they bring the character to life and each one visually incorporates so much about their story.

At the end of the book, there is a beautiful two-color map that shows the part of the world that most of these myths take part in. There is also a family tree for Zeus. though not all of the figures in the book are part of it.

Greek Gods & Heroes: 40 inspiring icons is a part of a unique and different series that brings these characters to life and provides a compact summary of each character.

-Product review by Lori Hooten, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, October, 2018