Play Nice, Hercules!

Written by Joan Holub · Illustrated by Leslie Patricelli

Part of the Mini Myths series

A young Hercules must mend his mistake after toppling his sister's tower. Can he win her forgiveness?

3.6/7 Bookroo experts·3.9/5 Goodreads · 231 ratings

24 pages

$6.95Save 3%

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Bookroo's summary

Young Hercules loves showing off his strength, but when he accidentally demolishes his sister's block tower, he faces a new challenge: making amends. As he learns to use his powers for good, will he earn her forgiveness? This playful tale intertwines a modern sibling story with echoes of the legendary Hercules' Twelve Labors, offering a humorous and heartwarming lesson in strength and redemption. Discover how Hercules and his sister redefine what it means to be strong in this delightful adventure.

From the publisher

Hercules is not as interested in “playing nice” as he is in playing strong! But when one feat of strength destroys his little sister’s 12-piece tower, he must use his powers for good to restore the tower and seek her forgiveness. She forgives him indeed, and then shows her own strength by gleefully knocking down the stacked blocks herself! Joan Holub’s expertly focused text pairs perfectly with Leslie Patricelli’s famously humorous illustrations. Includes a summary of the original Hercules’s Twelve Labors myth at the end.

At a glance

Format: Board book
Pages: 24
Reading age: 1–4
Audience: Board

Themes & topics

Books about forgiveness Books about physical strength Books about Greek and Roman mythology Books about social themes Books about manners and etiquette

What readers & critics say

Reviews

3.6

out of 7

4.0

“I really like this concept of teaching mythology in a really accessible way, but this wasn't one of my favorites of this series. The tie in to Hercules' labors is incredibly loose and while Hercules apologizes at the end for not being nice, he spends so much time being destructive that it feels a little like I'm reinforcing negative rather than positive behavior when reading it to my toddler.”

Marmee

Trusted reviewer

3.3

“I like quite a few of the books in the Mini Myths series, but this one isn't my favorite. I don't love that he's hitting in the story (toys, but still). He does fix his sister's block tower, but teachers her to smash them down by his example. I'm fine with knocking down block towers, but I felt like this book mostly promotes aggressive behavior. It's fun to have the Hercules recap in the back of the story, but I didn't feel like this story fit super well with the myth.”

B is for Bookworm

Trusted reviewer

For readers who can't stop at one