For 6000 years human civilisations have walked the earth, although humans and their ancestors have been around a lot longer than that, much longer. See you have already learned something from our history. As I have got older, I have enjoyed history more, but for kids they can see it as a dusty timeline of facts and figures, names, places and events to memorise, but it doesn’t have to be. When presented as a story full of details, history becomes a playground for the imagination. If You Were Me and Lived In… Ancient Greece transforms 2,300-year-old events into an adventure, inviting young readers to taste olive-brined cheese at a marketplace stall, debate philosophy in the shadow of marble columns, and cheer at the very first Olympic Games. It’s proof that learning about the past can be as exhilarating as discovering hidden treasure.
If you have you ever wondered about ancient civilisations, about how governments, politics and democracy started, young inquisitive readers can step back in time, over 2,300 years, and find out in Carole P. Roman’s If You Were Me and Lived In… Ancient Greece.
If You Were Me and Lived In… Ancient Greece by Carole P. Roman is part of the If You Were Me and Lived In… series of children’s books and this is the first book in the longer An Introduction to Civilizations Throughout Time part of that series. If You Were Me and Lived In… Ancient Greece in book 1 in this 10 part series. This series takes a look at Ancient China (The Han Dynasty), Viking Europe, the Mayan Empire, the Ancient Mali Empire, the Middle Ages, Renaissance Italy, Elizabethan England, Colonial America, the American West and, course, the one we are looking at now, Ancient Greece.
If You Were Me and Lived In… Ancient Greece travels back it time, quite a bit back in fact, over 2,300 years. It goes back in time to a time and history to the country that is considered to be the cradle of Western civilisation, a country that introduced the world to democracy, politics, government, philosophy and more. It is an informative time-travelling tale that sparks curiosity in young page turners.
Unlike standard children’s books that are generally around 32 pages in length, If You Were Me and Lived In… Ancient Greece is longer with 54 pages, with more informative and longer texts. It is aimed at readers age 5+.
Rather than merely listing a series of facts, young readers are taken on a journey through time through the eyes of a child living in a sun-baked Athenian alley. That conversational voice, peppered with gentle humour, keeps the narrative brisk without ever feeling simplistic. And is packed with a wealth of information.
This book covers everything from the daily routines of ordinary children to the grand ideas that shaped politics and art. It weaves in profiles of iconic figures, think Plato, Aristotle, and the inventor of democratic debate Socrates, alongside snapshots of everyday life: fetching water from communal fountains, weaving woollen tunics and offering prayers to the pantheon of gods. Each vignette invites questions rather than answers. “How would you feel racing a chariot through dusty roads?” “What would you invent if you wanted to please Athena?” These open-ended prompts unfurl conversations at home and in the classroom. It brings Ancient Greece to life.
Alongside all the wonderful factual information are the illustrations. These are used for more than decorating the pages with colour. Illustrated by Mateya Arkova, her crisp lines and authentic colour palette of bronzed sands, olive-leaf greens and temple-stone greys serve as visual guideposts that anchor Roman’s text in a vivid reality and help bring the story to life. Children will be able to linger over the depiction of a bustling agora or a cliff-perched temple and get a visual idea of what life was like back then.
The book also features a handy glossary at the back which helps readers decode Greek terms using a simple pronunciation guide, complete with phonetic cues that will help build confidence in pronunciation and reading aloud, and learning new words.
Overall, If You Were Me and Lived In… Ancient Greece is a wonderful introduction to learning more about an ancient civilisation and their history, it isn’t just an introduction – it’s an invitation to explore and learn. The engaging fact-packed narrative, combined with the expressive artwork by Mateya Arkova, turns ancient dusty history into a fun playground of knowledge. It doesn’t matter whether you are a curious reader with a thirst for knowledge or a budding historian, this immersive illustrated journey will leave you hungry for more adventures through time. Strap on your sandals and get ready to dive into the civilisations that shaped our world.
History can be quite dry, dusty and dull, but Carole P. Roman makes it more fun delivering the facts with humour and even describing the smells, sounds and other sensory details of the time period.
Whilst it condenses a lot of information and facts into its 54 pages, it does so in an easy to read and understandable way that is fun to read. If You Were Me and Lived In… Ancient Greece delivers ancient history in an engaging and is an excellent starting point for further study.
Rating: 5/5
RRP: £17.99 (Paperback) / £7.99 (Kindle)
For more information, visit www.caroleproman.com. Available to buy from Amazon here.
DISCLOSURE: All thoughts and opinions are my own. This review uses an affiliate link which I may receive a small commission from if you decide to purchase through the Amazon link (it helps with the running costs of the website).
If You Were Me and Lived In… Ancient Greece by Carole P. Roman is book #1 of 10 in the An Introduction to Civilizations Throughout Time series / It is also part of Carole P. Roman’s If You Were Me and Lived In… series.