Aphrodite: Goddess of Love (Olympians Series #6)

by George O'Connor, George O'Connor (Illustrator)

Overview

In volume six of Olympians, graphic novel author/artist George O'Connor turns the spotlight on Aphrodite, the goddess of love. Look for the same thoroughly researched and wonderfully accessible comics storytelling as O'Connor tackles the story of the Aphrodite from her dramatic birth (emerging from sea-foam) to her role in the Trojan War.

O'Connor has outdone himself with this volume: the story is riveting and the artwork is beyond compare. Greek mythology has never been so vivid! This title has Common Core connections.

A Neal Porter Book

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781466876811
Publisher:	First Second
Publication date:	10/07/2014
Series:	George O'Connor's Olympians Series , #6
Sold by:	Macmillan
Format:	eBook
Pages:	80
File size:	96 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	9 - 14 Years

About the Author

George O'Connor's hit series, Olympians, has landed on the New York Times bestseller list (Hades and Poseidon) and found a devoted fan-base among readers and educators. Aphrodite: Goddess of Love is the latest installment in the series.

George O’Connor is the New York Times–bestselling author of the Olympians, the ongoing series of graphic novels featuring the tragic, dramatic, and epic lives of the Greek gods.

His first graphic novel, Journey into Mohawk Country, pushed the boundaries of the genre as it used as its sole text the actual historical journal of the seventeenth-century Dutch trader Harmen Meyndertsz van den Bogaert. He also illustrated acclaimed playwright Adam Rapp’s Ball Peen Hammer.George is also the creator of popular picture books such as the New York Times–bestselling Kapow! and If I Had A Triceratops. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Editorial Reviews

This neatly nuanced take on Aphrodite shows respect for the ultrafeminine heroine.” —Kirkus

“The sixth book in the series turns its attention to the goddess of love and beauty . . . The illustrations perfectly match the text; each character gets a sleek, modern makeover while still remaining true to the clothing of the time period, and the use of soft, pastel colors set a lighthearted tone.” —School Library Journal

“Definitely worth a visit for any young demigod.” —Rick Riordan on The Olympians Series

“Readers . . . will be delighted with this debut title in the Olympians series of graphic novels.” —BCCB, starred review on The Olympians Series

From the Publisher

2013-10-23
O'Connor spotlights the goddess of beauty and love in this solid addition to his Olympians series. Aphrodite's three attendants, the Charites, narrate a slightly-too-long recap of the origin of the Titans and Olympians, leading up to the goddess's birth. This telling emphasizes the power of Eros as an independent force in order to highlight the dangerous potential of Aphrodite, Eros' embodiment. After a series of shorter myths, various affairs and the introduction of Aphrodite's capricious son (a mischievous cherub she names Eros, of course), the story concentrates on the beauty contest of the goddesses Aphrodite, Hera and Athena, judged by the mortal Paris. The problematic female stereotypes inherent in a story of powerful women fighting over looks are brought to center stage and addressed by the characters. They find the contest "beneath" them and "debasing" even while participating and reframe the contest as one of power by offering Paris boons--Hera would make him a rich king, Athena a conquering hero. Aphrodite offers him the most beautiful woman in the world: Helen of Troy. Graphically, O'Connor compensates for the lack of action in Aphrodite's myths by taking advantage of the comic-book format for humor, with quick lines of dialogue and humorous reaction shots. This neatly nuanced take on Aphrodite shows respect for the ultrafeminine heroine. (author's note, character profiles, "G[r]eek Notes," discussion questions, bibliography) (Graphic mythology. 8-14)

Kirkus Reviews