The book is an adaptation of the book published in 2008 within the series My First Mythology, published also in 2018 in English, French and Spanish: 

Filippos Mandilaras, Ο Ηρακλής [O Iraklis], Athens: Papadopoulos Publishing, 2008, 36 pp.

Demo of 9 pages available at epbooks.gr (accessed: October 13, 2021).

At the very beginning of the book, we read about Herakles’ conception by Zeus and Alkmene. This affair made Hera jealous. Mandilaras presents Herakles’ labours in the following order: the Nemean Lion; the Lernean Hydra; the Erymanthean Boar; the Hind of Artemis; the Stymphalian Birds; the Augean Stables; the Cretan Bull; the Horses of Diomedes; the Belt of Hippolyte; Geryon's Cattle; the Cerberus; and the Apples of the Hesperides. Each labour is mentioned briefly, as is appropriate for young children. In some instances, as exemplified by the Augean Stables and the Cretan Bull, we have the text and combined imagery for two labours on one page. 

In contrast to the maliciousness of Hera, Athena helps Herakles to kill the Stymphalian Birds. The gods compensate Herakles for his bravery, and instead of suffering a cruel death, he is granted immortality.

Herakles is shown wearing a leopard’s skin throughout the book, and sometimes a lion’s skin appears on top of that. The leopard-skin depiction resembles the character Fred Flintstone from the well-known American TV series The Flintstones, although, as it is set in the Stone Age, this might cause some confusion.

Mandilaras’ text follows a rhyming pattern every two couplets. The language is simple and accessible, with a mixture of elevated and colloquial terms. The values merging from narrating Herakles’ labours include bravery, ingenuity, intelligence (for example, cleaning the stables), physical endurance, and agility. Herakles is strong in body and spirit, and he is not daunted by anything. For example, Herakles fights fiercely against the Amazons and in the darkness of Hades. These qualities are typical for the hero as he is depicted in ancient Greek mythology. Some of these qualities are mentioned directly in the text. For example, in cleaning the stables, it is stated that Herakles came up with a clever solution. Other qualities, such as strength and endurance, are implied rather than explicitly stated in the text. 

The book does not finish just with the labours. Rather, we learn about Herakles’ softer side. Our hero can fall in love, and he is prepared to defend his love. Unfortunately, there is not a happy ending in the story. Nessos’ poison makes Herakles’ chiton cling to the hero’s body. Herakles is in pain. The gods intervene and take him to Olympus. On the final page, we see climbers up a mountain. Here, we appear to have a caricature of present-day mountaineers. 

There are monstrous creatures in the story, like Diomedes’ flesh-eating horses. Yet, what we see in the illustration are benign-looking horses with hallows over their heads since Herakles has tamed them. 

Women appear at the very beginning and towards the end of the story when we see the Amazons, the Hesperides, and Deianeira. Otherwise, the narrative befits a hyper-masculine hero, and masculine qualities predominate, such as physical strength. Moreover, Herakles’ bravery sometimes verges on savagery, e.g., the killing of the Lernean Hydra and Cerberus. Nevertheless, children will likely remember Herakles as a hero with extraordinary powers.

There is a strong visual narrative through Kapatsoulia’s captivating and humorous illustrations. Moving from one labour to the next, there are contrasting colours and landscapes. Kapatsoulia succeeds in creating the illusion that Herakles is in another place and time. The illustration for Herakles’ encounter with the Nemean lion, which is also featured on the book’s front page, is intriguing. The portrayal of the landscape is barren and dry, with a vivid yellow-orange colour dominating. There is possibly something Martian and cinematic here, potentially sparking children’s imagination beyond the realm of mythology.

Information about the book at epbooks.gr, published 16 March 2012 (accessed: July 31, 2018).