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widfarend's review
adventurous
funny
informative
3.25
I only have a general knowledge of greek mythology, so I wasn't entirely sure what was accurate and what wasn't, but I would recommend reading through the other reviews that discuss this farther. Apart from that, I love the illustrations and pace of the book. Also, as fun as the font is, I think it can present inaccessibility to some readers.
veecaswell's review
4.0
The chance to see the wonderful work by Imogen early was never going to be a thing I could pass up, so when I saw it recently on NetGalley I knew I had to request to read this, and I am so glad I did, as they introduce us in this new picture book to Gaia, the greek goddess of the Earth.
Telling the story of Cronus, The Battle of The Titans and the aftermath, this book covers in a really empathetic but kind way of what happened during those times and the impact it had on Mount Olympus according to Myth, and what Gaia did next to make the world a better place after everything had happened, and it is always done so well.
Accompanying these stories is incredible art as usual in any book from these authors, as they give us the greek gods and goddesses in their amazing art style which make clear the scenes that were going down in mythology. It's truly a beautiful book to take in and I loved all the detail anc characters they introduced throughout this book.
A wonderful first taste for a child what mythology is, Gaia: Goddess Of Earth is also a book I would treasure for a long time to come to.
Telling the story of Cronus, The Battle of The Titans and the aftermath, this book covers in a really empathetic but kind way of what happened during those times and the impact it had on Mount Olympus according to Myth, and what Gaia did next to make the world a better place after everything had happened, and it is always done so well.
Accompanying these stories is incredible art as usual in any book from these authors, as they give us the greek gods and goddesses in their amazing art style which make clear the scenes that were going down in mythology. It's truly a beautiful book to take in and I loved all the detail anc characters they introduced throughout this book.
A wonderful first taste for a child what mythology is, Gaia: Goddess Of Earth is also a book I would treasure for a long time to come to.
story_tella's review
adventurous
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
gallien's review
funny
informative
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
missprint_'s review
2.0
This felt sloppy. I didn’t like the anachronisms used by the characters. The graphic novel format was not used well--like the art was showcased by the text often felt like an afterthought.
The design of this book is terrible. Why is the text so small? Why do so many pages have black text over red backgrounds (terrible for contrast)? The selected bibliography is two books? Why?
And rather than feeling Feminist to me it felt like Gaia was beaten down again and again and again.
The design of this book is terrible. Why is the text so small? Why do so many pages have black text over red backgrounds (terrible for contrast)? The selected bibliography is two books? Why?
And rather than feeling Feminist to me it felt like Gaia was beaten down again and again and again.
caitcosentino's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
3.0
lostinthepaiges's review
4.0
Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC of Gaia: Goddess of Earth by Imogen and Greenberg.
This was a lovely retelling of Greek mythology at it's earliest- Gaia, the personification of Earth and one of the Greek primordial deities.
Mother of the sky, the sea, and the Titans we hear so much about, Gaia is an essential and wonderfully interesting part of Greek Mythology.
The artwork in this graphic novel was wonderful. A lovely sense of 'children's book illustrations' whilst still being brilliant for a middle-grade or adult reader.
Greek mythology has fascinated me for as long as I can remember, and this retelling of Gaia, Rhea, The Furies and The Fates is a fantastic read for both young and old.
I will definatly want to being this lovely book into the classroom, and dive into the other works of the Greenberg sisters (whom I have very happily discovered from recieving this eARC).
This was a lovely retelling of Greek mythology at it's earliest- Gaia, the personification of Earth and one of the Greek primordial deities.
Mother of the sky, the sea, and the Titans we hear so much about, Gaia is an essential and wonderfully interesting part of Greek Mythology.
The artwork in this graphic novel was wonderful. A lovely sense of 'children's book illustrations' whilst still being brilliant for a middle-grade or adult reader.
Greek mythology has fascinated me for as long as I can remember, and this retelling of Gaia, Rhea, The Furies and The Fates is a fantastic read for both young and old.
I will definatly want to being this lovely book into the classroom, and dive into the other works of the Greenberg sisters (whom I have very happily discovered from recieving this eARC).
dorothysbookshelf's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
AD/ PR product. Thanks so much to the publisher, the author Imogen Greenberg, the illustrator Isbael Greenberg, and to Netgalley for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
As an aspiring classicist, and overall classical enthusiast, I was so thrilled to discover a new children’s book about greek mythology, especially about mythological figures that aren’t often talked about it children’s non-fiction, such as Gaia. I also did really enjoy how this book discussed the Gigantomachy, as again, it is rarely discussed in children’s retellings. I also loved the occasional references to other myths and I also enjoyed the occasional pop culture reference too, including “Get in, loser. we’re going on an adventure”.
Isabel Greenberg’s illustrations in this book are absolutely gorgeous. Vivid colours, diverse characters and each gods’ personalities shone through. My favourite piece of artwork featured was one of Gaia with flowing green hair, and animals and creatures living inside it. It was vibrant and I could feel the momentum and movement within.
However, I do have a lot of critiques for this book. I felt that the creation of the world was very Christianised. In accurate mythology, it was Prometheus and Epimetheus (under Zeus’ request) who created humans and animals, yet in this version, it was Gaia who created all, whilst Prometheus and Epimetheus were not mentioned. I felt that the Ancient Greek creation story was altered so heavily that it appeared to mimic the Christian Genesis creation story, and in doing so, felt extremely distanced itself from actual mythology.
On top of that, the story of the Titans was told extremely out of order, with humans being created during Ouranus’ rule, instead of after Cronos’ defeat. And the Olympians were established as ruling over the own domains all along, even before they had won the Titan war. Elements like this felt confusing and pointless to me, as the book discusses from the creation of the universe, to the Titan War, to the battle of the giants and the gods, so why couldn’t the events be told a more accurate order? I understand that interpretations differ, but the order of events discussed in this book was so far off any interpretation I have read or studied that it felt, at times, lazy. Especially when discussing false details such as Aphrodite being called Athena’s sister, instead of born from Ouranous.
Whilst I understand that having such a large array of figures and events in such a short children’s book who be confusing (and some topics would be far too inappropriate for children), I felt that the mythology was handled quite poorly, which for a book which acts as a re-telling and introduction to mythology, is a big problem. Many other children’s books on mythology have managed to find a balance between accurate retellings and interesting and digestible information for children, this book falls a bit flat on that.
However, the concept of introducing children to the Classics is something I am a firm supporter and believer in. Although I have not read all of their books, I do know that the Greenberg sisters have published other works on Greek mythology and history, so I am inclined to check those out to see how they compare to this book. I also loved how this book did not romanticise the gods, and instead, encourages children to not adopt the selfish behaviours of them. It also encourages children to treat the environment with love.
This book is a brief re-telling of the lead-up to the Titanomachy and Giantomachy, as well as the aftermath and the gods’ relations with humans. I’d say, if you are to read this book, or give this book to a loved one, I would consider that. more detailed discussions and children’s books may be needed to learn a bit more. Overall, I’d rate this book 3.75 stars out of 5. It was a visually appealing introduction to the mythology, which would be able to act as a decent stepping stone to learning about Greek mythological origins for children, and also ends of a call-to-action about changing the world through environmentalism.