zeus, with me?WILLyou play Aloma
ILLUSTRATED BY
SUSANA RODRIGUES
WHAT IF ONE DAY YOU WERE AT THE TOP OF A VERY HIGH MOUNTAIN AND FELT LIKE PLAYING. WHO WOULD YOU PLAY WITH?
IN THIS STORY, A KID JUST LIKE YOU DECIDES TO PLAY WITH THE GODS AND GODDESSES OF ANCIENT GREECE, WHO LIVE AT THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAINS. BUT, WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO PLAY?
TURN THE PAGES AND FIND OUT HOW FUN IT IS TO PLAY WITH THEM.
ZEUS, ZEUS, WILL YOU PLAY WITH ME?
I’LL PLAY WITH YOU, BUT WHAT ABOUT POSEIDON?
POSEIDON, POSEIDON, WILL YOU PLAY WITH ME?
I’LL PLAY WITH YOU, BUT WHAT ABOUT HADES?
ABOUT THE BOOK
This book has been specially designed to develop the pleasure of reading. Its shape, size, illustrations, text and thematic result from a variety of different professional effort so as to create an intelligent and entertaining story.
This book is aimed at young readers. However, readers of all ages will also be delighted to learn about the Greek mythological gods and goddesses presented here. For children, reading this book is also legitimized by the important learning that this story can promote to the initial literacy and children´s initiation into the world of reading.
The structure and the poetic text, composed of short and simple sentences that are repeated throughout the narrative is easy to remember. By learning the story, children naturally feel encouraged to try to read, even if they are still not reading on their own.
The graphic design provides visual elements that, for the young reader, serve as true “clues” to interact with the written text – such as the dialogue between the characters, which is distributed regularly between the odd and even pages of the book and the use the capital letter in the main body of the text, which facilitates the recognition of the letters of the alphabet.
This book also collaborates to expand the young reader’s knowledge of the world. Nowadays, cinema and literature provide several pieces of information about Greek mythology, but rarely does the approach consider the young child as the main interlocutor. This is another purpose of this book: to provide young readers with appropriate information of the universal culture, taking their affective conditions into consideration.
ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATIONS
Initially, some designs were developed in order to define the face and the body of each of the Greek gods and goddesses depicted in this book. These drawings were made in pencil and, once approved, scanned. Then, each god and goddess received clothes and special adornments related to his/her characteristics. For example: Athena has a little owl on her shoulder; Poseidon brings a trident in his hands... these are elements to help children expand their imagination around this mythological universe. The soft colors of the blue sky set the scenery. After all, the story is set on the top of a mountain. Greek patterns are also presented, creating a special texture in clothing, hairstyles and even the clouds. Each god and goddess is depicted around a tree in the background of the picture. This is for the young reader to find out the relationships between them. It will be fun!
TO YOUNG READERS
You can enhance the reading experience of this book by encouraging the children to:
• Talk about what they already know about the Greek mythological gods and goddesses;
• Describe what they see in each illustration and give their opinion on it;
• Read the story out loud, individually and in groups – an adult (or another child) reads a sentence and the child reads the following one;
• Read the story out loud and vary the pitch and intonation of the voice according to each character;
• Read the book by themselves, without the help of an experienced reader;
• Find the name of the characters in the text;
• Role play, as suggested at the end of the story, imitating the Greek mythological gods and goddesses;
• Dress up like the Greek mythological gods and goddesses, preparing costumes and decorations that remind us of Zeus, Apollo, Athena, etc.;
• Find more information about the Greek mythological gods and goddesses;
• Find out the Roman names of those gods and goddesses (Zeus, for example, is Jupiter; Aphrodite is Venus; Dionysus is Bacchus, etc.);
• Write and illustrate their own book with their favorite Greek gods and goddesses.
Aloma ABOUT THE AUTHOR
The book “Zeus, will you play with me?” came from the desire to broaden the children´s knowledge of the world in a light and fun way. It also came from the desire to encourage the ones who are learning how to read and write to enjoy reading and want more and more books to “devour”. I also wanted a book for the whole family – a book that was intelligent and humorous... a book we can read and talk about, read and contemplate, read and play, read and reread. A book to take your imagination to another level. I am a mother, an educator, a teacher, a writer, but above all, a reader.
SUsana Rodrigues ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR
I have been drawing my whole life. Stacks of papers with all kinds of drawings and doodles are piled up at my house! Some are really good and others not as much. But practi ce makes perfect. This is the second children’s book I have illustrated and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed illustrating it.
EVERYONE IS GATHERED AT THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAINS: ZEUS, POSEIDON, HADES, HERA, ARTEMIS, APOLLO, HERMES, ATHENA, ARES, HEPHAESTUS, APHRODITE, DEMETER, DIONYSUS AND EVEN CHRONOS.
WHAT ARE THEY DOING? WHAT DO THEY WANT? WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL HAPPEN?
ALONGSIDE SOME GREEK MYTHOLOGICAL GODS AND GODDESSES, CHILDREN WILL HAVE LOTS OF FUN AT THE END OF THIS STORY, WHICH WAS ESPECIALLY WRITTEN SO AS TO PROVIDE GREAT PLEASURE FROM READING.