Zeus: An Olympian

O’Connor, George.  Zeus: King of the Gods.  First Second, 2010.  80 pages.  Fiction.

Greek Mythology packs a punch and comes to life in this graphic novel. Young Zeus rallies an army and overthrows his father, Kronos, to become king of the gods.

Athena's Wisdom:  Zeus: King of the Gods is the first graphic novel in George O’Connor’s Olympians series.  O’Connor explains the importance of the Greek myths: “The stories of Zeus and his family are more than just entertaining yarns about giants who slice open the sky and monsters so fearsome their gaze can turn one to stone. They were, and are, an explanation of the world that that ancient culture's people saw around them: a lightning storm could only be the King of Gods hurling his thunderbolt; a volcano could only be the escaped vapors of an entombed Titan.”  Do not underestimate the graphic novel format of the Olympians series; George O’Connor’s deep respect for Greek mythology helped him depict detailed, instructive tales.  Also, consult the back section of Zeus: King of the Gods to see Zeus’s family tree and recommendations for further reading.

You can also dive into George O’Connor’s world of the Olympians through his website.  Understand the Pantheon and learn more about the gods through O’Connor’s “Olympians Family Tree.”  Or, complete one of three Greek Mad Libs or see if you can match the Gods with their symbols.  Finally, help O’Connor create a graphic novel by either adding text or images to his stories about Zeus or Athena.