Goddesses and Heroines

Ages 7 to 9, Grades 2 to 4

A beautifully illustrated collection of profiles and stories of women from religion and myth, retold for children

Discover the stories of goddesses and other powerful women shared throughout the ages in this beautifully illustrated compendium for children.

With profiles of over 80 goddesses, heroines, and legendary women featured, this is a must-have introduction to the key female figures from cultures all over the world. More than 30 beloved stories are retold by award-winning author Jean Menzies, with striking illustrations bringing the tales to life. Find out how Japanese goddess of the dawn Ame-no-Uzume saved the day by dancing; how ancient Greek witch Medea helped defeat a dragon; and how legendary Celtic warrior Scáthach trained the hero Cú Chulainn to fight. In addition, the reference section is packed with extra information, including a pronunciation guide.

Goddesses and Heroines is the ideal gift, with foil on the cover and stunning illustrations throughout. Children will love exploring the tales by themselves or as bedtime stories.

About the Author

YouTuber, creative producer, and winner of the Books Are My Bag Breakthrough Author Award 2020 for Greek Myths, Jean Menzies is currently studying for a PhD in Women in Classical Athens. She runs a podcast about ancient history and mythology called That’s Ancient History and regularly uploads to her Youtube channel, youtube.com/bookishthoughts, where she discusses literature and history. She has spoken about ancient history and mythology to audiences of all ages, and taught mythology and ancient history to university students. Jean has written both Greek Myths, published July 2020, and Egyptian Myths, publishing in August 2022, for DK.

Katie Ponder graduated from Falmouth University in 2014 with a 1st class BA with honors in illustration. She enjoys bringing in textures from different media into her work. Katie’s inspirations include ballet, the greenhouses at Kew Gardens, her cat, and ghost stories. 

Katie won the AOI Book Award for new talent in 2014, and in 2017 she was shortlisted for the Folio Society Award. She was winner of the 2017 House of Illustration People's Choice Award. In October 2017, she won the Glyndebourne Art Award and her work was used as the cover of the Glyndebourne 2017 On Tour program. Her work has been featured in prestigious publications including VAROOM, SOFFA, Communication Arts, and DPI Magazine, and exhibited at Somerset House, The Lyric Theatre, and Glyndebourne opera house. Katie’s titles include Greek Myths, also for DK, published in July 2020 and Norse Myths published in July 2021, as well as the upcoming Egyptian Myths, publishing in August 2022.