The Mini Myths series are simultaneously really cute board books that little kids will enjoy, teaching lessons and having silly characters; AND they are also wildly inventive ways of reinterpreting classic myths into stories that kids can understand and appreciate without needing to know the background at all. LOVEEE this series

Adorable illustrations and ancient myths! This book is right up my alley. The only part that didn't sit right with me was that Pandora wondered if her mother still loved her after ruining a box of cupcakes. Love of a parent should never be in question. Maybe she worried that her mother would be angry with her, but she should never have to wonder if her mother may not love her anymore.

“Be Patient, Pandora!” fit in well with our household experiences. Little man doesn’t wait well. I’ve been trying to teach him with the mantra “What is being patient? Waiting without whining!”

In the book, the little girl finds a wrapped present that her mom tells her to leave alone. While Pandora keeps herself from straight out opening the box, she gets a little closer to it, nudges it, stands on it, and jumps on it. When she jumps on it, the box opens by itself, and ruined cupcakes fly out. Pandora is worried that her mom won’t love her anymore, but of course Mom banishes that thought quickly. Great lesson, though. Next time Max starts to whine, I just have to remind him that he might ruin the cupcakes!

At the end of each story is a page that summarizes the myth. While it’s a lot of text on one page for my boys right now, I do love the introduction to Greek mythology. It was one of my favorite concepts to learn in elementary school!

Originally published on my blog, Nine Pages.

Last month I read and then praised Play Nice, Hercules!, a Mini Myths book written by the same team. I expected to like Be Patient, Pandora! I won’t again go into the credentials of the team, which are excellent. Be Patient, Pandora! like Play Nice, Hercules! retells the myth in a modern setting and with a similar but more commonplace situation for a toddler audience and then includes in the back a summary of the myth for a slightly more mature audience.

Holub and Patricelli’s tale tells of a young Pandora who finds a wrapped present on the floor, which her mother forbids her to open. Like many children, Pandora bends the rules. Her anticipation of the present too great to leave the box alone, she pokes it, jumps on it, and unintentionally destroys the packaging and what the box contains: cupcakes, which is a very interesting substitution for all of the evils of the world. My Classics professor introduced us to the argument among scholars as regards the Hope (elpis) that remained in Pandora’s jar. Holub and Patricelli probably wisely don’t engage in whether the Hope is a blessing or a blight, loosed or withheld but Pandora does say that she hopes that her mother still loves her, a nod to the Hope that remained in the jar.

{My Thoughts} – Mythology, it’s some of the greatest stories out there. This book is about Pandora and well Pandora’s box. It is a nice fast and easy to follow simplified version of the well known myth. Pandora is this sweet little girl that sees a box. She wants to know what is in the box so she of course messes around with it. All of the sudden everything comes flying out of the box and she is left with the feeling of hope. Hope that her mommy still loves her and isn’t made about what she did.

On the back page is a small summarized more in depth version of the myth. It’s really nice to be able to read through it and see how the book and the actual myth go together so nicely.

This book is well written and the illustration go along so nicely with the story. I really like how the author and the writer worked together to make such a wonderful story for children to enjoy for years to come. This is must have book for any parent that loves Mythology and would like to be able to share their love of it with their children beginning at a young age.

See my review of [b:Please Share, Aphrodite!|24795917|Please Share, Aphrodite! (Mini Myths)|Joan Holub|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1428630676l/24795917._SX50_.jpg|44431950] for general thoughts on this series.

Pandora is told by her adult to not open the box, but she isn't very good at following directions. Readers will connect to her impatience, though there isn't a lot of discussion afterward about consequences, which some readers could feel lacks appropriate deterrent. The discussion of the original myth is also not required to enjoy the story. This book has slightly wider appeal than some of the others in the series, in that it can apply to any present situation.

For: fans of myths/Classics; readers looking for a book about being patient/following directions.

Possible red flags: not listening to one's adult.

This book is for all the lovable mini-heroes in your life. Whether it's a matter of being strong or protecting your sister from tears, Hercules does it all! This is one of the books in the "Mini Myths" series and offers a brief history about the actual hero at the end.

These two first books in the new Mini Myths series are a cheerful mix of mythology and toddlerhood. Pandora explores the temptation of a wrapped present and how hard it can be to wait to open it. Pandora is told to leave the present alone, but just can’t seem to stop herself from touching it, leaning on it, and accidentally opening it. Hercules is told to play nice with his little sister, but Hercules is much more interested in knocking things down than being nice. In the end of both books, the myth becomes more about manners and how to be with others.