Athena: Goddess of Wisdom and War (Tales of Great Goddesses #1)

Highlighting young Athena as a girl striving to be taken seriously by male relatives and other goddesses, sisters Imogen and Isabel Greenberg (The Aztec Empire) adapt and connect several major tales of the goddess in this volume, creating a linear narrative. From the moment she emerges from the head of Zeus, armored and ready for battle, Athena involves herself in the lives of mortals. Whether becoming the patron of Athens, raising Erichthonius to one day become king, or advising and protecting heroes such as Perseus and Odysseus, Imogen Greenberg details Athena’s adventures as guide to humankind and “the goddess behind all the stories.” But even the goddess of wisdom makes missteps, and must learn when to give her assistance as well as the idea that others’ strengths do not diminish her own. Isabel Greenberg’s bold, angular art is well matched to the intended audience and conveys a positive, peppy tone, with light comedic elements (in a kind of comic visual epithet, for example, Poseidon is nearly always holding a fish). While an Odysseus section de-centers Athena to its detriment, outlines of each character and a relatively bloodless telling of mythology that skews slightly younger than the intended audience make this a good place for young myth-interested readers to begin. Ages 8–12. [em](June) [/em]