Oh My Gods!: A Look-It-Up Guide to the Gods of Mythology

Mythlopedia

by Megan E. Bryant

You think you know Greek mythology? Mount Olympus was one rough zip code! Here is the gods'-honest truth about these lying lovers, beast-bearing dads, brawling bros, and evil shape-shifters, who ate their young with relish--and their siblings for dessert.

WHAT'S INSIDE OH MY GODS?

Olympians take on the Titans to rule the world!

A dad swallows his kids to keep the peace!

The original party animal rocks it like it's 1999 BCE!

Hades welcomes you to the Underworld, where guests stay for eternity.

Genres: Mythology, Nonfiction, Childrens, Reference, Greek Mythology, History, Middle Grade

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

I've counted books among my friends for as long as I can remember. I was born in Santa Monica, California, though that beautiful city is just one of many places I've called home; my family moved ten times before I graduated from high school. Moving so frequently gave me many opportunities to experience new places, meet new people, and make new friends . . . but it could be lonely, too, especially while I adjusted to a new town or school. When I felt homesick for people and places far away, I knew that I could always turn to my books, familiar friends who traveled everywhere I did. Reading so much inspired me to write my own stories and poems, on topics ranging from birds and snowflakes to castles and talking pasta (really!).

Looking back, all that reading and writing was the perfect preparation for my dream job: writing for children and young adults. I moved to New York City for college and after graduating from New York University with a degree in Dramatic Literature, I worked as a children's book editor for five years. Another move—this time with my husband—led me to close my eyes, hold my breath, and take the leap to become a full-time writer. It was the best decision I ever could've made.

I've lived in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, for five years (that's almost a record for me) with my family, and I thank my lucky stars every day for the good fortune to write for kids and teens.

When I'm not writing, I'm . . .
Knitting obsessively, just like my grandmother did (if there's a knitting gene, I got it from her)
Drinking another pot of tea
Doodling on a 3 x 5 index card
Attempting to decipher the cryptic Post-It notes stuck to my desk
Reading voraciously, especially nonfiction or current events
Cooking vegetarian food (or, more likely, making dessert)
Trying to save my garden from a fearless band of marauding squirrels
Cuddling with my cat and wrestling with my dog
Covering my kids with kisses
(copied from the author's website)

Reviews

[Hilary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A humorous look at a variety of the gods from Greek Mythology. The book is well organized, dedicating 4-6 pages per god. Each God is outlined with quick to read facts like what their Roman name is, what their attributes are, and who their parents, siblings, friends foes etc... are. Key myths relating to each god are presented in short, easy to read stories that pick out the main plot points. Stories (along with facts) are written with a touch of humor, and accompanied by pictures that are just as funny. A great book to give someone who needs to do basic research on the Greek gods, a person who wants a quick and dirty of Greek god who's who, or the kid who is really into the Percy Jackson series.

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

The "Oh My Gods!: A Look-It-Up Guide to the Gods of Mythology" is a 128 page book about most of greek gods, like Zeus and Poseidon, Titans, like Cronus, and other creatures, like Pan. It includes what their symbols are, some of their fun facts, and information on them. It also talks about who their parents, siblings, spouses, filings, offsprings, friends, enemies, and some even who their pets are! Included through their description are some stories about them, how they were created, and more. Also, in the back is a family tree with who created who and who started it all! Within the book are lots of pictures, and don't worry about nudity pictures of the gods, because they are all covered up in cartoon swimsuits!
I really liked this book because I'm really interested in greek mythology. Soon, I'm even going to read the three other books, called "What a Beast!: A Look-It-Up Guide to Monsters and Mutants of Mythology," "She's All That!: A Look-It-Up Guide to the Goddesses of Mythology," and "All in the Family: A Look-It-Up Guide to the In-Laws, Outlaws, and Offspring of Mythology." It has also helped me with my world history class because I'm learning about greek mythology right now, so it's even a great educational tool! I really liked this book, so I would highly suggest for you to read it!

[Bert Edens · Rating 5 out of 5]

This a fun, entertaining romp through Greek Mythology. It makes learning mythology exciting and humorous for kids and adults alike. And you don't have to worry about nude statues and such as all pics of statues that would be otherwise unclothed have boxers or swim trunks or similar attire.

Highly recommended!

[Starbubbles · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was great for what it was! If I were an elementary school kid, I would have eaten this up. It's humorous, filled with pictures, broken down in an easy to follow fashion, and the book tied it back to how you see it today. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series!

[may regan · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARGH I LOVE THIS BOOK
I first read this book in third grade because THE TROJAN WAR!!! and I loved it. On Monday I checked it out from the Oswego Library because IT WAS CALLING TO ME and, surprise, I STILL LOVE IT!
It's just too darn funny! If this book was a Try Not To Laugh video, I would fail EVERY TIME. I mean, come on! If you don't laugh at the God's "Status Updates" at the beginning of the book, (not sure what else to call them), you DON'T HAVE A SOUL and YOU BELONG IN TARTARUS!
If you do happen to go to Tartarus, though, say "hi" to Cerberus for me!

[Darci Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fact book on greek mythology, yet it is told in a very modern and colorful way. Each god or goddess has their own profile as if they were on social media, and while it is written in a more narrative form the facts are accurate and there is an abundance of them! I would recommend this book for grades 5-8 as it is a little bit more mature information when it comes to stories involving affairs and such. This book would be a great read for an individual student, a student(s) conducting a presentation on mythology, or to conduct a lesson on mythology.

[Tifa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very nice Quirky introduction into Greek myths for kids. Has a nice breakdown that fully explains what the myths are and explains who the gods are really well. Also like the way they introduce the characters like a social media page that breaks down all the key details of the character. Definitely a good intro for any child instructed in learning how the myths started that are old and are still relevant in today's times.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have only a passing interest in Greek mythology and did not learn very much in school. This book was a great, quick introduction to the main gods and goddesses and helped to link them together, explaining how their stories are interwoven in fun articles that are easy to read and short enough to grab in quick bites. My only complaint is that I wish there had been more gods included.

[Bob Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a creative way to present mythology! What a fun way to read about mythology and with all the fun graphics too! Hard to put down this one and see all the connections to modern day terminology. I will be rereading.

[Stasia Bruhn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Umm It’s not for children. I know it is supposed to b for children but talking about eating children, ripping up people no. It is a combination of infantile drawings , fake social profiles for Gods , and adult themes. Nope horrible book for children.

[Franke · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not like this book. It was confusing and organized in what I thought wasn't a good way. Some people might like the way that the book was set up in, but it just wasn't the book for me.

[Praajnya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super FUNNY!!!!!:D

[Cassie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good overview of myth for younger readers, though it watered things down a bit too much for my tastes.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite resources for when I teach mythology, added now because I can quickly read through them to meet my Goodreads goal.

[Vani Mathia · Rating 3 out of 5]

VERY NICE

[Tiffiny Federico · Rating 3 out of 5]

I asked one of the 6th grade library patrons which book on Greek mythology he liked the best. He immediately handed me Mythlopedia: Oh My Gods! I asked him why this book was the best and he said it had EVERYTHING. He loves to read fiction based on mythology, such as the Percy Jackson series and this book helps him figure out who all the god and goddess are, how they are related to one another, and how they get along. Plus, it was funny and it wasn’t boring. Not a bad recommendation from a 6th grade boy.

Mythlopedia: Oh My Gods! is a look-it-up guide to Greek gods and goddess. It looks and feels like a DK book—there are pictures, charts, images, photos, maps, textboxes all over the place. There is different color fonts on each page as well as lots of cartoon drawings of the specific gods and goddesses. It’s busy, but informative. There are different profiles on 17 different gods & goddesses from Apollo to Zeus. Each section about a specific god or goddess starts with a profile that gives specific information such as: a pronunciation guide, Roman name, aliases, generation (Titan, Olympian, other), divine powers, attributes, top 10 things to know about him/her, and a list of family, friends, and foes. From there, the following pages go over details of his/her life and the stories that surround him/her.

I can see how Mythlopedia: Oh My Gods! is appealing to upper elementary and middle school students. In 6th grade students study Ancient Rome and Greece and are introduced to Greek mythology. Also, there are quite a few popular fantasy series that deal with Greek mythology such as Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series and Heroes of Olympus series; Peter Lerangis’ Seven Wonders series; and Anne Ursu’s Cronus Chronicles. As students get into these books, having a Mythlopedia to explain who the gods and goddess are is very helpful. I think that high schoolers would find this book a bit too juvenile.

I have to say that I found it clever the way the editors put colorful bikinis on the naked statues, or added other outlandish clothing to famous paintings to cover up nakedness. They also put things such as sunglasses and gold chains so that everything looked “cool.” Students don’t get embarrassed by naked bodies and librarians and teachers don’t have to pull the book because parents are angry.

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mythlopedia: Oh My Gods!: A Look-it-Up Guide to the Gods of Mythology
by Megan E. Bryant

Do you love books that are humors? Well if you do then this book is perfect for you. This book is about ancient god’s life and experiences. It also tells you about their lovers, power(s), family, and friends. It even tells you their life mistakes and other cool stuff about them. These Gods are the Olympians and the titans. Wow, that is a bad combination. Did you hear about the war they had. Well guess what? After ten years of war. The Olympians won, that meant they won the heavens, earth, sea and the underworld. Well the leader of all gods, Zeus made a decision with his brother Poseidon and Hades. Hades ended up making the biggest sacrifice and was forced to control the underworld. Zeus told him that the underworld had the most riches. Did you know Hades doesn’t answer prayers? What type o God is that? His brothers are a lot luckier. Zeus got the heaven and Poseidon got the sea. How lucky are they? Well the Titians got sent to Tartarus, the darkest place of the underworld. Without the acceptation of a titian named Atlas. He was to hold the sky up that’s including earth and the other plants. I bet you he wished he was on the Olympians side the second he first lade hand on the sky. That’s a decent bit of the best comedy book ever.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

Buddy read with Erica!

I've been obsessed with Greek mythology all my life, and this book helped remind me why.

It focused only on the main gods, but there was still a lot of information packed into this small book. The layout was pretty cool, as it devoted several pages to each god and had a cheat sheet at the beginning with things like who they were married to, who their siblings were (sometimes those were the same people...), etc. The pictures and captions throughout made me smile, and there were quite a few myths that I didn't remember.

I'll definitely be reading her book on the goddesses soon.

[Hailey Story · Rating 5 out of 5]

One theme in this book could be rebellion. An example for rebellion could be when Hades went to the underworld and is now the god of it. Gods and goddesses being rebellious and having to go down to the underworld. The author did a great job at making this book funny and interesting so its a great book for children to read to understand the Greek Gods and Goddesses. A symbol in the book they explained the myth of when the father swallowed his children, this is a great symbol to explain how important it is to learn about the gods because they did some wacked up things. This is a great book to read in school to explain the history of the Greeks and understanding the history.

[Bryce Vasquez · Rating 4 out of 5]

The theme of the book is and informational book. The theme is shown by the numerous amount on information, it talks about what the mythical gods and goddesses are about. The author wrote this book for people that want to know more about how the Greeks and mythical creatures. The author wanted to tell people how they lived and most of their lives just more childish than most book would address this topic. This book contributes to the community by teaching all readers that even though you have a really serious topic you can still have a laugh and learn about how the world was thought to become

[Ricki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series! Even though they are directed for middle schoolers, the books can be appreciated by people of all ages. There is a different god on each page, along with guiding pictures and humorous quotes. I love learning about Mythology, so I could sit with this books for hours. I always have at least one student in each class who is obsessed with these.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very funny take on mythology. I love all the pictures, captions, dialogue bubbles, and top ten lists. Marry that with a ton of great information, and you have a winner. There are also other books in this series.

I'd go with upper elementary on up for this one, as they are cautious in their approach but still do discuss the violent and lusty natures of the Greek deities.

[Shiela · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED IT! Great way to introduce the realm of Greek mythology in a fun and "modern" way. Both adults and children will enjoy. In fact, I'm tempted to buy the who "Mythlopedia" series after having so much fun with this one. Definite read for all Greek Mythology lovers.

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun book with all the greek gods. (There is no goddesses so if you want that check out She's All That.) You kind of have to know greek mythology to "get it" but if you do it's really funny. For grades 4 and up.

[Kathleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review from library copy

Good for 6-8 grade. The art has been edited so naked bodies are covered (sometimes with, say, a leopard print bikini). Information is fairly basic and written for lower reading levels.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a good one because it tells about the gods in myths and facts. My favorite part of it was when it was giving facts about the gods it was in first person and it made it seem like they were happy about their mistakes and tragedies.

[Devon · Rating 3 out of 5]

A tad repetitive but I guess it's hard not to be when everything is so intertwined with drama.

I read this book and plan to read several others in the series to give a little background knowledge for the Percy Jackson series as I read that since it it's completely based on Greek mythology.

[Erin Hebert · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an okay book, too young for me though.

[Kate Hastings · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just in time for Percy Jackson fans! Learn fun facts about all your favorite Mount Olympus residents.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and imformatable, I just wish they had more on the Demigods.