National Geographic Kids Everything Mythology: Begin Your Quest for Facts, Photos, and Fun Fit for Gods and Goddesses
This comprehensive and engaging book on all things mythological lives up to the expectations set by other entries in the National Geographic Kids series. Hoena emphasizes the commonalities between myths of different cultures, including the Iroquois of North America, the Norse of Europe, the Hawaiians of the Pacific, and the Hindus of the Indian subcontinent. Gods and stories are organized topically, covering a range of concepts such as mythical tricksters, stories of love, natural disasters, and creation and the underworld. The eclectic layout is colorful and lively, full of iconography, infographics, photographs, and illustrations. Mayor serves as our expert guide and is represented by a reoccurring avatar, popping up in the text to highlight and explain certain concepts. Sidebars include recipes using fruits that were favorites of the gods, images of sacred places, and diagrams of celestial constellations. This compendium is highly successful in bringing to light the ways that myths across time and place relate to one another and to modern culture and language. Grades 3-6. --Erin Anderson