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Gyro and the Argonauts! aka the BEST BOOK EVER WRITTEN*: *About a Kid Named After a Sandwich
The Argonauts are the greatest heroes in Greek mythology—brave, forthright, and selfless! Or ARE they? Dive into this funny, action-packed adventure and discover the real the monsters. Created by NYT bestselling author Joshua Pruett (Last Comics on Earth) and perfect for fans of superheroes and endless jokes.
Gyro and the Argonauts tells the totally (mostly) true story of the first “Greek Geek,” a super fanboy vineyard grape-squisher named Gyro (like the sandwich), who learns there's so much more to the maligned monsters of mythology (such as the CYCLOPS, the MINOTAUR, and even MEDUSA herself), and so much less to his favorite heroes (including Perseus, Heracles, and Pegasus) than he ever dreamed. All this happens when he joins the crew of the intrepid Argonauts and learns to never meet your heroes ( The Avengers, if the Avengers were all buttheads).
This side-splitting, voice-driven, and SUPER OUTRAGEOUS series follows Gyro (pronounced hee-roh) on his journey to become a hero.
In addition to fun, pertinent, and timeless themes, readers will also learn fascinating facts from Greek and Roman mythology (like the fact that Bellerophon, not Perseus, rode Pegasus the flying horse—and no, dear reader, we didn’t know that, either!).
With bestselling author Joshua Pruett's hilarious and heartwarming prose, cover illustration by Annie Award-winning storyboard artist and character designer Anthony Holden ( Across the Universe and Puss in The Last Wish, among many more), and beautifully illustrated chapter headers by renowned comic artist Amanda Castillo (Mapmakers and the Flickering Fortress), this series starter is set to be a riotous and thrilling ride aboard the Argo.
Where The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy meets Clash of the Titans, and probably in between some slices of pita, you’ll find Gyro and the Argonauts!
“With big laughs, big heart, and big monsters, Gyro and the Argonauts is timeless fun for everyone!” – Max Brallier, sandwich expert and author of the #1 New York Times bestselling series The Last Kids on Earth“Gyro and the Argonauts is a hilarious, adventurous, and nail-biting twist on Greek mythology tropes with a well-developed cast of zany characters ... Gyro is the new hero we all courageous, monster friending, and true to himself.” – Demetra Brodsky, award-nominated author of Last Girls and Dive Smack (and actual Greek)
Gyro and the Argonauts tells the totally (mostly) true story of the first “Greek Geek,” a super fanboy vineyard grape-squisher named Gyro (like the sandwich), who learns there's so much more to the maligned monsters of mythology (such as the CYCLOPS, the MINOTAUR, and even MEDUSA herself), and so much less to his favorite heroes (including Perseus, Heracles, and Pegasus) than he ever dreamed. All this happens when he joins the crew of the intrepid Argonauts and learns to never meet your heroes ( The Avengers, if the Avengers were all buttheads).
This side-splitting, voice-driven, and SUPER OUTRAGEOUS series follows Gyro (pronounced hee-roh) on his journey to become a hero.
In addition to fun, pertinent, and timeless themes, readers will also learn fascinating facts from Greek and Roman mythology (like the fact that Bellerophon, not Perseus, rode Pegasus the flying horse—and no, dear reader, we didn’t know that, either!).
With bestselling author Joshua Pruett's hilarious and heartwarming prose, cover illustration by Annie Award-winning storyboard artist and character designer Anthony Holden ( Across the Universe and Puss in The Last Wish, among many more), and beautifully illustrated chapter headers by renowned comic artist Amanda Castillo (Mapmakers and the Flickering Fortress), this series starter is set to be a riotous and thrilling ride aboard the Argo.
Where The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy meets Clash of the Titans, and probably in between some slices of pita, you’ll find Gyro and the Argonauts!
“With big laughs, big heart, and big monsters, Gyro and the Argonauts is timeless fun for everyone!” – Max Brallier, sandwich expert and author of the #1 New York Times bestselling series The Last Kids on Earth“Gyro and the Argonauts is a hilarious, adventurous, and nail-biting twist on Greek mythology tropes with a well-developed cast of zany characters ... Gyro is the new hero we all courageous, monster friending, and true to himself.” – Demetra Brodsky, award-nominated author of Last Girls and Dive Smack (and actual Greek)
272 pages, Paperback
Published June 17, 2025
4 people are currently reading
23 people want to read
About the author
Joshua Pruett
36 books23 followersJoshua Pruett is a Primetime Emmy Nominated writer and human-author-person who splits his time unevenly between Gallifrey and Los Angeles with his incredible Wife/High School Sweetheart/Knitter/Singer Amanda and their boy and girl-shaped children. He is currently living out a dream come true, writing dialogue for Weird Al Yankovic's mouth on Disney XD's MILO MURPHY'S LAW (2016).
As a Writer/Artist, Joshua has over a decade of experience inflicting laughter on others, with credits on the history making Kickstarter relaunch of MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 (coming to Netflix in early 2017), PHINEAS AND FERB, and the HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON franchise. He has worked as a storyboard artist, writer and creative consultant for Disney TV, DreamWorks Feature Animation, Nickelodeon, DreamWorks TV, Awesomeness TV, Sprout/NBC Universal, Disney China/Beijing, Zombie Bake Shop, Netflix and Paramount Feature Animation. Most recently, he developed THE HAUNTED MANSION for Disney TV with his friend and writing partner, Scott Peterson.
His first novel, THE JUNGLE BOOK: THE STRENGTH OF THE WOLF IS THE PACK, with Scott Peterson, adapts the 2016 live action feature film into a fun for all ages novel for young readers.
Joshua is also internet famous for getting a WIN on failblog (just type "EPIC WIN DAD" into Google Image search -- he and his daughter's award-winning Halloween costume is the first photo to come up).
https://www.facebook.com/GoPruett/
http://www.amazon.com/Joshua-Pruett/e...
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2956436/?r...
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 17, 2024
Incredible. I had the privilege of reading an early copy. Gyro and the Argonauts is a hilarious, adventurous, and nail-biting twist on Greek Mythology tropes with a well-developed cast of zany characters. A zero to hero story that will keep you obsessively turning pages. Gyro is the new hero we all need, courageous, monster friending, and true to himself. 10/10
June 29, 2025
This book claims to be "The best book ever written*" (*About a kid named after a sandwich). I'd say that's a safe assertion, though it could easily call itself a very good book by many other measures.
This book is written for middle-grade readers, though I'd recommend parents take the opportunity to enjoy it with their kids, or failing that, borrow it after they're done and give it a read yourself.
As advertised, this is the story of Gyro, a boy who dreams of joining the Argonauts on adventures and becoming a hero himself. On the way, he discovers that his heroes, their opponents, and Gyro himself are not quite what he always assumed them to be.
It is cleverly designed to keep the target audience engaged. Bold type and crazy fonts (most notably, using Greek letters as stand-ins for their Latin look-alikes) make certain phrases "pop", more clearly spelling out the action and sprinkling in some variety for younger readers.
A fourth-wall breaking, wisecracking narrator feels like a co-observer, sitting beside the reader. It then feels natural when it becomes necessary to draw back from the story to explain some finer points of mythology or give a little exposition for events that might otherwise go over the heads of younger readers. This happens in the form of asides, "intermissions", and a not-super-serious glossary at the end. All of this is infused with a delightful sense of humor that makes kids laugh and adults chuckle.
I'll also note that, while the book warns the reader about "blood and guts and violent violence," it's not the sort of thing that's going to give the vast majority of kids nightmares. Rather, they're going to remember these characters fondly, and probably seek to read the "real" stories of the Argonauts and Titans. THEN they'll get nightmares.
So, as advertised, it's a great book for kids.
Beyond that, it's surprisingly deep. This is a story about stories. As we go about our lives, we hear stories about people: famous people we'll never meet, and people we see every day. These stories come in varying mixtures of truth and lies. We consume these stories while living ours, and others observe, relate, and remember our story with its good and bad, truth and lies.
It is from those stories that we choose who to idolize, vilify, befriend, and snub. It's also how others relate to us. It is therefore important to handle the stories we hear and tell with responsibility.
Gyro lives out this lesson in an action-packed rollercoaster of an adventure that will entertain kids and adults alike. Reading it, I saw things from a slightly different perspective, and was forced to challenge some assumptions I never realized I'd been making. And I learned a little more about myself in the process.
And that, in the end, is why we have stories.
This book is written for middle-grade readers, though I'd recommend parents take the opportunity to enjoy it with their kids, or failing that, borrow it after they're done and give it a read yourself.
As advertised, this is the story of Gyro, a boy who dreams of joining the Argonauts on adventures and becoming a hero himself. On the way, he discovers that his heroes, their opponents, and Gyro himself are not quite what he always assumed them to be.
It is cleverly designed to keep the target audience engaged. Bold type and crazy fonts (most notably, using Greek letters as stand-ins for their Latin look-alikes) make certain phrases "pop", more clearly spelling out the action and sprinkling in some variety for younger readers.
A fourth-wall breaking, wisecracking narrator feels like a co-observer, sitting beside the reader. It then feels natural when it becomes necessary to draw back from the story to explain some finer points of mythology or give a little exposition for events that might otherwise go over the heads of younger readers. This happens in the form of asides, "intermissions", and a not-super-serious glossary at the end. All of this is infused with a delightful sense of humor that makes kids laugh and adults chuckle.
I'll also note that, while the book warns the reader about "blood and guts and violent violence," it's not the sort of thing that's going to give the vast majority of kids nightmares. Rather, they're going to remember these characters fondly, and probably seek to read the "real" stories of the Argonauts and Titans. THEN they'll get nightmares.
So, as advertised, it's a great book for kids.
Beyond that, it's surprisingly deep. This is a story about stories. As we go about our lives, we hear stories about people: famous people we'll never meet, and people we see every day. These stories come in varying mixtures of truth and lies. We consume these stories while living ours, and others observe, relate, and remember our story with its good and bad, truth and lies.
It is from those stories that we choose who to idolize, vilify, befriend, and snub. It's also how others relate to us. It is therefore important to handle the stories we hear and tell with responsibility.
Gyro lives out this lesson in an action-packed rollercoaster of an adventure that will entertain kids and adults alike. Reading it, I saw things from a slightly different perspective, and was forced to challenge some assumptions I never realized I'd been making. And I learned a little more about myself in the process.
And that, in the end, is why we have stories.
June 8, 2025
Note: I received a DRC from Edelweiss in exchange for a review.
“The Argonauts are the greatest heroes in Greek mythology—brave, forthright, and selfless! Or ARE they? Dive into this funny, action-packed adventure and discover the real the monsters. Created by NYT bestselling author Joshua Pruett (Last Comics on Earth) and perfect for fans of superheroes and endless jokes.
Gyro and the Argonauts tells the totally (mostly) true story of the first “Greek Geek,” a super fanboy vineyard grape-squisher named Gyro (like the sandwich), who learns there's so much more to the maligned monsters of mythology (such as the CYCLOPS, the MINOTAUR, and even MEDUSA herself), and so much less to his favorite heroes (including Perseus, Heracles, and Pegasus) than he ever dreamed. All this happens when he joins the crew of the intrepid Argonauts and learns to never meet your heroes ( The Avengers, if the Avengers were all buttheads).
This side-splitting, voice-driven, and SUPER OUTRAGEOUS series follows Gyro (pronounced hee-roh) on his journey to become a hero.
In addition to fun, pertinent, and timeless themes, readers will also learn fascinating facts from Greek and Roman mythology (like the fact that Bellerophon, not Perseus, rode Pegasus the flying horse—and no, dear reader, we didn’t know that, either!).
With bestselling author Joshua Pruett's hilarious and heartwarming prose, cover illustration by Annie Award-winning storyboard artist and character designer Anthony Holden ( Across the Universe and Puss in The Last Wish, among many more), and beautifully illustrated chapter headers by renowned comic artist Amanda Castillo (Mapmakers and the Flickering Fortress), this series starter is set to be a riotous and thrilling ride aboard the Argo.
Where The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy meets Clash of the Titans, and probably in between some slices of pita, you’ll find Gyro and the Argonauts!”
“Gyro and the Argonauts” was a fun and charming story that I enjoyed. I appreciated this different take on Greek Mythology, and Gyro is a fun main character. This book was really meta, and while in some cases it can be funny, every now and then, it took me out of the story. I still really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to kids from the ages of 9 to 13. I had a lot of fun with it.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
“The Argonauts are the greatest heroes in Greek mythology—brave, forthright, and selfless! Or ARE they? Dive into this funny, action-packed adventure and discover the real the monsters. Created by NYT bestselling author Joshua Pruett (Last Comics on Earth) and perfect for fans of superheroes and endless jokes.
Gyro and the Argonauts tells the totally (mostly) true story of the first “Greek Geek,” a super fanboy vineyard grape-squisher named Gyro (like the sandwich), who learns there's so much more to the maligned monsters of mythology (such as the CYCLOPS, the MINOTAUR, and even MEDUSA herself), and so much less to his favorite heroes (including Perseus, Heracles, and Pegasus) than he ever dreamed. All this happens when he joins the crew of the intrepid Argonauts and learns to never meet your heroes ( The Avengers, if the Avengers were all buttheads).
This side-splitting, voice-driven, and SUPER OUTRAGEOUS series follows Gyro (pronounced hee-roh) on his journey to become a hero.
In addition to fun, pertinent, and timeless themes, readers will also learn fascinating facts from Greek and Roman mythology (like the fact that Bellerophon, not Perseus, rode Pegasus the flying horse—and no, dear reader, we didn’t know that, either!).
With bestselling author Joshua Pruett's hilarious and heartwarming prose, cover illustration by Annie Award-winning storyboard artist and character designer Anthony Holden ( Across the Universe and Puss in The Last Wish, among many more), and beautifully illustrated chapter headers by renowned comic artist Amanda Castillo (Mapmakers and the Flickering Fortress), this series starter is set to be a riotous and thrilling ride aboard the Argo.
Where The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy meets Clash of the Titans, and probably in between some slices of pita, you’ll find Gyro and the Argonauts!”
“Gyro and the Argonauts” was a fun and charming story that I enjoyed. I appreciated this different take on Greek Mythology, and Gyro is a fun main character. This book was really meta, and while in some cases it can be funny, every now and then, it took me out of the story. I still really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to kids from the ages of 9 to 13. I had a lot of fun with it.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
January 3, 2026
I loved this book from the beginning!! This was a could-not-put-down kind of fun, silly, engaging book to read from cover to cover. Not only was it fun, but it introduced me to Greek Gods and mythical characters in a way that made it so I could remember who was who, and it was fun to read.
It follows the adventures of Gyro (yep, named for the sandwich and ironically, pronounced like hero, like the Hero's he admires), and his adventures with the Hero's and the Monsters. Follow their antics and adventures for a high paced story, great vocabulary, fun text, and silly interjections of thought along the way.
The beginning of the book had my attention, and then I got to Chapter X … and this became an even better book. Friendship, bullying, what it really means to be a Hero, perspective, perception of others, and the choices you made for the authentic you are brought to center stage. Great lessons woven into the book, in a way that makes them lessons without feeling quite so heavy. There is a lot to talk about and a lot wrapped into what appears just to be a fun book. Fantastic writing.
This is a great book for both boys and girls. Appropriate for school libraries and classrooms from my perception and would make a great library or state reading list book, or battle of the book addition for content and its engaging ability. This would be a great book as a gift for a kid.
This is a six-star book in my opinion! I highly recommend it! I hope to read more from this amazing author (check our his history and what Mr Pruitt has done, he has had some amazing experience which I am sure lent to this great book and I would LOVE to read more from him, so I am waiting for his next promised book to arrive already!!)
It follows the adventures of Gyro (yep, named for the sandwich and ironically, pronounced like hero, like the Hero's he admires), and his adventures with the Hero's and the Monsters. Follow their antics and adventures for a high paced story, great vocabulary, fun text, and silly interjections of thought along the way.
The beginning of the book had my attention, and then I got to Chapter X … and this became an even better book. Friendship, bullying, what it really means to be a Hero, perspective, perception of others, and the choices you made for the authentic you are brought to center stage. Great lessons woven into the book, in a way that makes them lessons without feeling quite so heavy. There is a lot to talk about and a lot wrapped into what appears just to be a fun book. Fantastic writing.
This is a great book for both boys and girls. Appropriate for school libraries and classrooms from my perception and would make a great library or state reading list book, or battle of the book addition for content and its engaging ability. This would be a great book as a gift for a kid.
This is a six-star book in my opinion! I highly recommend it! I hope to read more from this amazing author (check our his history and what Mr Pruitt has done, he has had some amazing experience which I am sure lent to this great book and I would LOVE to read more from him, so I am waiting for his next promised book to arrive already!!)
February 20, 2025
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Gyro has no family, but works in an Ancient Greek vineyard under the tutelage of Pyro. He loves the stroies of the Greek heroes, even though, as the narrator points out, they are frequently violent jerks. The author has a nice note about how Greek mytholody has always been remixed and changed, and he then proceeds to put his own spin on traditional tales, making Heracles a woman and having Pegasus flinging "horse apples" on the unsuspecting.
I thought that this would be a graphic novel, but while it has page decorations, it's still rather words. If books like Northfield's Julius Zebra or Ford's Stickman Odyssey are popular with your students, this is an interesting title by Pruett, who is a Disney television writer. There are echoes of Whitehouse and Slavin's Bogbrush the Barbarian as well.
Gyro has no family, but works in an Ancient Greek vineyard under the tutelage of Pyro. He loves the stroies of the Greek heroes, even though, as the narrator points out, they are frequently violent jerks. The author has a nice note about how Greek mytholody has always been remixed and changed, and he then proceeds to put his own spin on traditional tales, making Heracles a woman and having Pegasus flinging "horse apples" on the unsuspecting.
I thought that this would be a graphic novel, but while it has page decorations, it's still rather words. If books like Northfield's Julius Zebra or Ford's Stickman Odyssey are popular with your students, this is an interesting title by Pruett, who is a Disney television writer. There are echoes of Whitehouse and Slavin's Bogbrush the Barbarian as well.
July 18, 2025
🙌🏻 What worked for me:
• The overall storyline of acceptance, friendship, and standing up to bullies was so good and something that kids definitely need more of.
• The narrator being their own individual sentient character was really fun.
• The jokes about Gyro's name never got old.
• The adventure was engaging (even for an adult).
🚫 What didn't work for me:
• It was a bit too silly for me; however, I'm not the intended audience for this book.
🤜🏻 Would I recommend: Yes! This is a perfect book for the age range 10-12!
• The overall storyline of acceptance, friendship, and standing up to bullies was so good and something that kids definitely need more of.
• The narrator being their own individual sentient character was really fun.
• The jokes about Gyro's name never got old.
• The adventure was engaging (even for an adult).
🚫 What didn't work for me:
• It was a bit too silly for me; however, I'm not the intended audience for this book.
🤜🏻 Would I recommend: Yes! This is a perfect book for the age range 10-12!
September 6, 2025
Gyro and the Argonauts is fast paced, exciting, and clever. Gyro is a little kid who's OBSESSED with heroes, and the Argonauts...well, they're also obsessed with heroes—themselves. I loved the direction it took with Greek mythology, and the third person omniscient was a blast. The narrator feels like a character themself in how they present the story. Snarky, and not bogged down by details. Of course it does feel juvenile, but this is a book that would be perfect for kids and is still enjoyable as an adult.
May 20, 2025
I was lucky enough to snag an early copy and found this book to be a delight! As someone who spent long summers in Greece with family as a kid, I read a LOT of takes on Greek mythology (pretty much the only English-language books available in the small village town were translated myths). This was a refreshing read, with fun typography, smart writing and an engaging story. I wish I could travel back in time and hand a copy to my younger self - she would’ve been obsessed!
October 1, 2025
Super fun and funny! My ten-year-old loved this, and enjoyed all the details about Greek mythology.
February 4, 2026
Hilarious retelling of Jason and the Argonauts but with heart. The overall theme of what makes a real hero is a concept MG readers should read and discuss.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews