Posted in Book Review

Clever little Hermes: A classic myth retold for kids

 
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Clever Little Hermes is the adorable retelling of the classic Greek myth about how Hermes played a very clever trick on his older brother Apollo. It highlights just how clever Hermes really was even as a young child but it also shows how sometimes tricks, even if they are clever, have consequences.

I came across this book and its author at Indy Pop Con 2014 and am so glad I did. It was such a cute read and a great story using one of my favorite topics, Greek mythology. Both of my kids sat through it, which is a miracle since neither sit still for story time.

Hermes is the Greek God of merchants, travelers, shepherds, and people who use their minds (instead of their muscle) to get by in life. He is the younger brother of Apollo, the Sun God, and is extremely clever. I mean beyond genius level smart and quite possibly the only infant to ever think about anything enough to invent something. Yeah, he invented the Lyre as a baby….show off. Back to the story.

reading hermesI won’t give everything away cause where is the fun in that? However, in Clever Little Hermes our little Hermes sets out to show how clever he is to his father, Zeus, who happens to be king of all the gods. He does this by playing a prank on his big brother Apollo.

Hermes doesn’t think about the consequences about showing how clever he is or his choice in prank and instead focuses on how to show just how clever he is. As a result feelings are hurt and Hermes has to learn a valuable lesson in consequences for your choices and owning up to your actions.

Written by Wes Sturdevant this story is easily the cutest Greek mythology tale I have ever read (possibly the only one as well) and the illustrations (by Milorad (Maza) Vicanovic with colors & textures by Ozren Miždalo) make the story that much cuter. It isn’t a long story but that makes it all the more special. It is short and tells a great story with a great lesson which means you can read it over and over again. And you will have to so be prepared. It is now one of my kids favorite stories.

“There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate’s loot on Treasure Island.”
~ Walt Disney

Author: sandyz