The Quest of Olympus
from €37.90 incl. VAT + €6.90 shipping · free from 2 books
30 pages, 20 x 20 cm, your child drawn from your photo on every illustrated page.
Hardcover €47.90 · Softcover €37.90
Your child is the first hero, and up to 3 more: brother or sister, mum or dad, grandparent, another grown-up. €8.00 per extra hero
Personalise this book1 day: we create and check your book · 2–5 days: printing · 3–6 days: delivery
Every book is checked page by page before it's printed.
With young Athena and Hermes, through the Labyrinth, Daedalus' tower and the Acropolis, to bring Hope home: real Greek myths, told for today.
What's inside
- 30 pages, 4 of them colouring pages to fill in
- 20 × 20 cm hardcover (softcover too)
- Thick silk paper (170 g)
- A page for grown-ups: tips and questions to talk about
- Your child drawn from your photo on every illustrated page
What makes it different
- Drawn from your photo on every illustrated page, not a cartoon with a name pasted in
- In a Greek book, the name takes its right form in every sentence (του Γιώργου, τον Γιώργο)
- Every book is checked page by page before it's printed
Watch the title change here and on every book on the site. It stays in this browser tab only.
Helps with
Courage
Courage and thinking before acting: stopping to make a plan, then being brave enough to carry it out.
The tool your child practises in the story
Owl eyes first, then wings
Make two circles with your fingers around your eyes, like an owl. Stop, look, and ask two questions: what could go wrong, and what is my best move? Then lower your hands and go: those are the wings. Practise it on small things first, like crossing a road, starting homework or replying in an argument, and say the words together: "Owl eyes first, then wings."
For grown-ups
What this story is about
This is a quest through four real Greek myths, retold for 8 to 12 year olds: Pandora's jar, Ariadne's thread and the Labyrinth, Daedalus and Icarus, and Athena's olive tree. Young Hermes rushes in, young Athena wants a very long plan, and your child finds the brave middle: stop and think, then act. In the end it is your child's own calm courage, standing still among the Troubles with an open hand, that brings Hope home.
Three ways to talk about it
- Tell the myths in your own words too. Children of this age love the real versions, and the book gives you four to start with.
- Talk about a time you acted too fast and what happened next. Hearing that you rush too makes thinking first feel normal, not like a telling-off.
- Praise the pause, not only the result: "I saw you stop and think before you answered. That took courage."
Three questions to ask
- Hermes rushes and Athena wants a long plan. Which of them are you more like, and when?
- Why do you think Icarus did not listen to his father? Is it harder to listen when you are excited?
- On Olympus, why did grabbing not work, and what did the child do instead?
Practise the tool together: Owl eyes first, then wings
Make two circles with your fingers around your eyes, like an owl. Stop, look, and ask two questions: what could go wrong, and what is my best move? Then lower your hands and go: those are the wings. Practise it on small things first, like crossing a road, starting homework or replying in an argument, and say the words together: "Owl eyes first, then wings."
If worry stops your child from trying new things for weeks, or acting on impulse keeps causing trouble at school or with friends, it is worth talking to your paediatrician or a child psychologist.
Look inside
Twelve illustrated spreads: the picture on the left, the story on the right. These sample pages show an invented child called Anya.
"Me? I'm not fast. Or strong. Or fearless." "Good," said Athena. "Then you'll do." "Brilliant! Let's go!" cried Hermes, leapt off the balcony without looking, and flew straight into the washing line. A sheet wrapped round him like a sandwich. Athena sighed. "Watch Sofoula instead." The little owl stared. Blinked slowly. Looked left, right, and back over her shoulder. Only then did she spread her wings. "Owl eyes first, then wings," said Athena, curling her fingers into circles around her eyes. "Stop. Look. Think. Then go." Owl eyes. A breath. Then a nod. "All right. I'll come." Hermes, still half a sandwich, tied spare winged sandals onto two bare feet. "Don't tell Zeus."
Inside, the Labyrinth twisted left, right, left, and back on itself. Every corridor looked exactly like the last. "Left!" said Hermes. Dead end. "Right!" Dead end. "I'm the god of travellers," he muttered. "This is embarrassing." Behind them, the red thread unrolled, step by step. Then, far ahead, something glowed: a tiny golden light with butterfly wings, resting on a broken jar. "THERE SHE IS!" yelled Hermes, and charged. Hope gave one frightened flicker and zipped up through a crack in the ceiling, towards a tall tower by the sea. Out of the shadows, three small grey moths fluttered after her, frowning. One look at the empty jar, one look at Hermes. Loud. Fast. Gone before he'd taken two steps.
Spread 1 of 2
Inside the book
Twelve illustrated spreads: the picture on the left, the story on the right. This sample uses an invented family to show the illustration style.
On summer nights, out on the balcony under more stars than anyone could count, Mia curled up under a blanket while a well-loved voice told the old Greek myths. The heroes in them were always fast, strong and fearless. Mia would have settled for one of the three. Tonight it was Pandora. "The gods gave her a jar and said: never open it. A jar, mind you, not a box, whatever people say. She opened it, of course. Out flew every trouble in the world: worry, grumbling, jealousy, sulking. Only one small thing stayed at the bottom." "Hope," came a whisper from under the blanket. Just then, something crashed into the basil pots.
Who can be a hero
Your child, and more heroes if you like
Your child is the first hero, and up to 3 more: brother or sister, mum or dad, grandparent, another grown-up.
A quest through the real myths, solved by your child's own courage and cleverness.
- Hardcover: €47.90
- Softcover: €37.90
+ €6.90 shipping · free from 2 books
Personalise this book
Styles
Soft 3D
AvailableRounded, softly lit 3D characters with big expressive eyes. Faces stay recognisable: hair, glasses, smile.
Storybook gouache
AvailableMatte, hand-painted colours with visible brush texture and soft edges, like a classic picture book.
Watercolour
AvailableLoose, soft washes of colour with fine ink lines and the texture of real paper.
Pencil and watercolour
AvailableColoured pencil over light watercolour washes, warm and drawn by hand.
Paper collage
AvailableLayers of cut and torn coloured paper, with grain and edges you can almost touch.
Clay
AvailableSculpted from soft modelling clay, like a handmade stop-motion film.
Vintage storybook
AvailableThe look of mid-century picture books: flat shapes, muted colours, a soft printed grain.
Fantasy painting
AvailableRich, painterly fantasy scenes full of glowing light.
Anime-inspired
AvailableClean line art, cel shading and large, expressive eyes.
Pop anime 3D
AvailableCel-shaded 3D with big sparkling eyes and bright, glowing colours.
Bold comic
AvailableThick ink lines, flat bright colours, halftone dots and dynamic angles.
Cute chibi
AvailableTiny bodies, big heads and soft pastel colours.
Formats and prices
Prices include VAT.
+ €6.90 shipping · free from 2 books