Brief but lucidly presented snapshots of ancient Greece.
A quick overview of life in ancient Athens, with rare glances further afield.
Saunders acknowledges that Athens was part of a larger world but largely confines herself to the city in surveying “Greek” art and thought, political institutions, home life, and social customs. The picture she draws isn’t entirely idyllic, as she points to sharp class divisions and repeatedly contrasts the very different lives boys and men could expect with those of girls, women, and enslaved people in general. While sending Pentathlos, a fictive 9-year-old who introduces himself as an Athenian from 440 BCE, to school and then to Olympia for exciting glimpses of the original Olympic Games, she also adds bits of color by, for instance, noting that athletes competed naked—glimpsed from afar in Robins’ austere, static illustrations—or explaining that ancient Greeks did not have toilet paper (they “used pieces of pottery”). Inserted sans safety precautions, recipes for fried or baked goods and instructions for a homemade open flame oil lamp and a drinking cup with “paint” in its list of ingredients may put hands-on sorts at risk. Still, readers should come away with glimmers of this civilization’s enduring legacy. Figures in the illustrations are mostly light- or tan-skinned.
Brief but lucidly presented snapshots of ancient Greece. (glossary) (Nonfiction. 8-11)Pub Date: Sept. 2, 2026
ISBN: 9781787081895
Page Count: 56
Publisher: Button Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 3, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
Playful, provocative, and packed with perspective.
Did Christopher Columbus really “discover” a new world? Did the Pilgrims invite the Wampanoag to a friendly First Thanksgiving? Is July 4 truly the nation’s birthday?
Readers familiar with traditional narratives of America’s founding are invited to interrogate those myths in this interactive exploration of early U.S. history. A strong introductory framework asks whose stories endure and whose have been erased from the history books, emphasizing that Indigenous peoples remain part of the present, not just the past. Each spread presents a common misconception, then asks readers to flip assumptions aside by lifting a partial gatefold that reveals the true story beneath. Well-sourced explanations elevate figures and communities often excluded from history books, including women, Black Americans, and Indigenous peoples. Bold colors, graphic-heavy layouts, and energetic illustrations that make creative use of historical photos and images break complex ideas into bite-size pieces that encourage browsing over linear reading. A timeline, speech bubbles, and lift-the-flap “True or False” quizzes reinforce the book’s core message: History is layered, debatable, and dynamic. Though the book’s busy, nonlinear design may prove challenging for some, on the whole it works very well as an engaging historical overview. The content assumes a foundational knowledge of early U.S. history, making it most suitable for older elementary readers, though some visual choices skew younger. Backmatter includes more historical information and background on the book’s creation.
Playful, provocative, and packed with perspective. (glossary, resources, photo credits) (Nonfiction. 9-11)Pub Date: May 26, 2026
ISBN: 9798888599082
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Barefoot Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 16, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2026
PERSPECTIVES
Thirteen prominent American men and women are briefly profiled in this collection. Chronologically ranging from Thomas Jefferson to Barack Obama, each entry features an inspiring quote from its subject and a concise explanation of his or her context in history. Opposite each page of text is a watercolor painting by the author depicting an image or montage of the notable individual and illustrating the work they achieved or how they lived. Each one evokes the emotions the book is meant to inspire: courage, strength and determination. Franklin Roosevelt gazes reassuringly out at readers above a line of hungry people at a soup kitchen; Rachel Carson smiles at readers against a picture of a soaring bald eagle and an inset of her peering into a microscope. The selection includes four women and five male ethnic minorities. Almost all are familiar faces in collective biographies, including Abraham Lincoln, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks, but some names may be new to young readers, such as Emma Lazarus and Cesar Chavez. Included in the backmatter are thumbnail biographies of each figure and a list of source notes. The profiles are indeed inspiring, and younger readers will likely learn something new. For deeper research, students will have to look elsewhere but could use this book as an excellent starting point. (Collective biography. 8-11)
Pub Date: March 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-8225-6810-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Millbrook
Review Posted Online: Jan. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2011
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