If You Were Me and Lived in...Ancient Greece

Reading another book in the If You Were Me and Lived in... series by Carole P. Roman, I always know that I am about to be filled with historical information with interest and a cultural flare. The wavy watercolor illustrations by Bulgarian Mateya Arkova are always my favorites with Carole's books. This primer on Ancient Greece, including the main Greek gods is gentle and pleasant. It is appropriate for the youngest (and sensitive) of readers to experience. I really enjoy how she introduces the individual gods and goddesses one at a time in an appropriate time within a historical detail being relaid. For instance, talking about Spartans brought forth a discussion of Athena. Talking about the house, home, and cooking fire brought forth a blurb about Hestia.

In the end, there is a refresher on the gods and goddesses and while I am not sure I quite agree with stating that Demeter is called Mother Earth, it is informative and to the point. The glossary following with phonetical pronunciation keys is great for the grammar student. Going back to Demeter, I will mention, this book starts with Zeus. There is no mention of Gaia, Uranus, Titans, or Cyclopes. It is gentle and a great introduction for building upon later.