Little Hermes is a smart little Greek god anxious to show off just how clever he is. He uses his math skills to pull a hilarious prank on his brother, Apollo. However, Apollo 
doesn’t think the prank is so funny, and Hermes learns a valuable lesson about the consequences of his actions. Clever Little Hermes by Wes Sturdevant introduces kids to some famous mythological characters and teaches them the importance of considering the feelings of others.
I read this book with my three-year-old, and when we were done he immediately asked me to “read it again, mommy!” He really loved the illustrations by Maza and Ozren Mizdalo, which are a high-quality comic book style. He also though Hermes prank was hilarious, but didn’t like that it made Apollo so sad. He also laughed at Apollo giving each and every one of his rare white cows a hug (he said that was his favorite part). I have a feeling that this book is going to be a part of our regular reading rotation. We read it three times the first night we had it!
I also took Clever Little Hermes with me to school and shared it with my preschool class of students ages three through five. This was their first introduction to Greek mythology, and they were able to understand and follow along with no problem. They thought Hermes’ prank was funny and clever, but they also thought it wasn’t very nice to Apollo. We had a great discussion about the difference between a funny joke and a mean prank. I am always thrilled when a book leads to a bigger discussion in our classroom. My students were able to take this story about ancient mythological characters and apply it to their lives today.
Clever Little Hermes is an educational story that kids will love. I recommend it for both parents and teachers. It’s useful both for teaching about how to treat others and for introducing children to Greek mythology. Wes Sturdevant does a great job of taking these ancient characters and making them people to whom children can relate. This is definitely a book to add to your collection!
Thanks to Wes Sturdevant for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
