The Little Myths Library
The Baby They Hid in a Cave
The Story of Baby Zeus
There is one rule on this mountain. When the baby makes a noise, make a BIGGER one.
The story
What happens in this one.
This warm and funny picture book introduces children to Zeus, king of the gods in Greek mythology — who begins his story as a baby hidden in a cave on a mountain in Crete, and turns out to be the loudest thing for miles!
In short, rhythmic sentences made for reading aloud, Orson Vale, creator of The Little Myths Library, tells the story of Kronos, an enormous Titan king who is frightened of his own children, of Rhea, a mother who does not shout and does not cry but thinks, of a goat called Amalthea and a cave full of wild honey, and of five young men with round bronze shields and one very good plan: BANG THE SHIELDS!
Nobody is hurt and nobody is punished here: the swallowed children wait in a warm, starry dark, entirely unharmed and extremely cross, until their little brother brings them back — so The Baby They Hid in a Cave can be read to the smallest listeners without a single bad dream.
Read a sample
The first five pages, as they are printed.
The opening of the story — 5 of the 26 story pages. Tap a page to start reading, then turn the pages with the arrows. The rest is in the book.
For the grown-up reading aloud
“About the Real Zeus” is the last page.
Every book in the library closes with the original legend retold in plain words — so when the question comes after the last page, there is an answer on it. Nothing is watered down; what changes is the gentleness of the telling.
- Reading age
- 4–6
- Read-aloud time
- About five minutes
- Format
- 8.5 × 8.5 in paperback
- Also on
- Kindle, tap to enlarge
The rest of the library
More myths, told small.
Three Heads, One Good Dog
Don't Open the Jar!
Whatever You Do, Don't Look!
Hold On to the String!
The Girl Who Ate Six Seeds
The Boy Who Flew Too High
Born from a Headache
Not the Bad Guy
The King with the Three-Pointed Fork
Up, Pegasus, Up!
The King Who Turned His Toast to Gold
Hello-ello-ello
My Name Is Nobody
Never Trust a Giant Wooden Horse
The Man Who Stole Fire