Praise for Mini-Myths: Play Nice, Hercules!
"These adorable volumes feature the title characters learning important life lessons with slight allusions to their Greek mythology counterparts."
--School Library Journal
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful.
Perfect board book for any toddler who struggles to play nice.
By Jenny H
Summary of the Book:Hercules has been warned by his dad to play nice. But, Hercules doesn't play nice. No, he is big and strong. He fights monsters and bad guys. He knocks down castles. Only catch is that the castle was actually built by his little sister, and now she is crying. Hercules learns to apologize to his sister and fix his mistake, a lesson that the Hercules from Greek Mythology also had to learn.Our Review:These two board books (including also Be Patient, Pandora!) are absolutely captivating reads for toddlers. The brilliant balance between sparse words, dialogue, and colorful illustrations makes both of these books inviting and friendly, while at the same time teaching important lessons. It is obvious that the author and illustrator worked closely together to bring out each others' strengths. The pages alternate between concisely worded text playing off of the illustration to pages with only illustrations. Because of this, the books beg for the reader to act out the naughty behavior of each character or the reactions of the other characters involved.Each book also has a summary of the actual Greek Myth character from which the stories are based at the end of the book. I found this really useful because I hadn't read any Greek Mythology since elementary school, which was a long time ago. I especially liked how the blocks in Play Nice, Hercules! had images of each of the labors that Hercules had to face. Knocking those blocks over in the book was not only funny to my daughter but also symbolic.These books make great lessons on manners and would be excellent in a preschool classroom. Children will be able to easily relate to the temptations of both Hercules and Pandora, which will make understanding the importance of being kind to your family and having patience interesting and straightforward.My 2 year old likes the Play Nice, Hercules! the best, while my seven year old informed me that Be Patient, Pandora! is better. This makes complete sense since my youngest is always knocking over blocks and other things and my oldest may need to work on her patience. I am looking forward to reading these with Little J as she grows to see how well she actually understands the lessons being taught. Since receiving these books from Ms. Joan Holub a couple months ago, we have read them more times than I can count. They have been read to the dog, stuff animals, and little doll house figurines. I can usually find them in bed with Little J because she carries them up there during nap time. She shouts, "Oh! No" every time Hercules knocks down the castle or Pandora makes the cup cakes go flying. These facts, so much more than the words I use in my review, prove that these books are great.* I was given this book free-of-charge by the author in exchange for my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are my own.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful.Great Book For Teaching Kindness
By Kevin F
I love this modern twist on the Mythology of Hercules and I think its a story that most kids (especially boys) can relate to. Even though this book was meant for and belongs to my two year old, I took the opportunity to read it to my five year old nephew when he was over my house because he tends to be a be a bit on the aggressive side when playing.In the book, Hercules was told by his father to play nicely but he didnt want to play "nice," he wanted to be strong. My nephew pointed out how he likes to be big and strong too. Then we talked about how he can play strong but still be nice, and how we have to be respectful of other people and what they are doing. It was such a great learning experience for him and I'm so glad we got to share that moment together! I would recommend this for any child 1-5 to help teach them manners and kindness.Basically, so far the Mini Myths Series has been such a great book series for our family and we cant wait to see what other board books Joan Holub writes!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful.
A Clever Baby's First Board Book Series! A great early reading book. Ages Infant - 4
By LAWonder
Little boy Hercules is strong and knows it! He "shows off" and is annoying. I have seen little boys like this who end up being bullies when they are older.This board book was not a humorous book in the mini-myth series. Leslie Patricelli did a nice job in her illustrations. They were very colorful and simple. The words and illustrations are good for a Baby's First Board Book.At the very end of the story, a short notation is given, relaying the main point of the Hercules myth. The myths are a clever creation.My review of this book offers a Four Stars rating.This was sent to me for an HONEST review, of which I have given
