The Monsters in Myth series makes a convincing bid for entry onto crowded mythology shelves by focusing on the pantheon of beasties in place of the marquee heroes: gods and goddesses. The text in each is drily straightforward, though peppered with a few dramatic reenactments of choice fracases. Still, the books are thorough and respectful of a number of ancient and modern sources and bend over backward to navigate often contradictory, interlinked legends. Cerberus explains not only the origins of the triheaded guard dog of Hades but also that Zeus let monsters survive so heroes could make their good name off of them. A number of paintings and photos break up the otherwise text-heavy pages, and copious chapter notes and reading suggestions conclude. This is by no means entry-level stuff, but for kids handy with the basics and ready to delve deeper, these books will be of great use.