Epically Good Greek Myths by R.A. Spratt

Title: Epically Good Greek Myths

Author: R.A. Spratt

Genre: Humour

Publisher: Puffin Australia

Published: 4^th March 2025

Format: Paperback

Pages: 256

Price: $16.99

Synopsis: From bestselling author R.A. Spratt comes this savagely silly collection of Greek myths.

Featuring sword-happy heroes, badly behaved Gods, a monstrous minotaur, a narcoleptic dragon and more nymphs than you can poke a stick at!

Master storyteller R.A. Spratt (bestselling author of Friday Barnes and the Bedtime Stories with R.A. Spratt podcast) weaves her comedic magic through this captivating collection of epic tales, perfect for fans of Roald Dahl, David Walliams and Paul Jennings.

The indomitable Nanny Piggins casts aside classical accounts to reveal what really happened all those years ago on Mount Olympus, and it involves way more cake than you would imagine. This book is perfect for bedtime, long bus rides or when you’re stranded on the international space station and the internet goes down.

‘This is a wonderful collection of tales. I would have read it even if I wasn’t cursed to live on a deserted island with no-one for company except the snakes on my own head.’ ­– Medusa

‘I loved Spratt’s sympathetic portrayal of the monster community. I finally felt truly seen.’ – the minotaur
‘No comment.’ – Zeus

An earlier version of this review appeared in Good Reading Magazine in April 2025.

~*~

Nanny Piggins is back – and this time, she’s taking on the Greek Myths in this wonderfully hilarious, cake and chocolate filled book from the ever joyful, R.A. Spratt. When the Green children come home from school asking about the Greek myths, Nanny Piggins is appalled at what the school is teaching them. She sits them down with some chocolate cake – what else would it be – and decides to set the record straight.

The traditional myths are cast aside as Nanny Piggins injects chocolate and family mayhem into the myths everyone knows, from Medusa, to Hercules, Pandora and Theseus – all female Piggins family members of course. Because as we all know, every generation, every story that is relatively well-known is really the history of the Piggins family.

Each tale that Nanny Piggins sets the record straight on is focused on the myths everyone knows. Perseus and Medusa, Jason and the Golden Fleece, Demeter and Persephone…and each one involves food – namely, chocolate and cake. Retelling myths and stories has been happening for years, so these light-hearted Nanny Piggins versions that can be quite abrupt but are also wildly entertaining adaptations that can act as a sampler for the myths before delving into the grittier and somewhat darker original versions or as a fun way to explore different ways of telling these myths.

Given this is a fantabulous Nanny Piggins book, it makes sense that every mythological character is connected to her family, or is part of her family. And, she’s setting the record straight – according to her – about what really happened, and about how the men in the myths acted – some were even as useless as her brother Bramwell, if the stories are true. Of course, this book wouldn’t be complete without R.A. Spratt’s recognisable humour and ability to make everything fun.

After each myth, which takes up an individual chapter, there’s a fun fact about the myth, which gives more detail about it or the story that has just been read. The way Nanny Piggins tells these myths tempers the nasty bits whilst also entertaining readers before they delve into the proper myths. Books like this complement learning about the Greek myths and make it so much fun to see what can be done with these old stories. Because retellings are often how people get to know the original story. This book is perfect for readers of all ages, and should be devoured with some cake and chocolate.