A Coloring Book of Ancient Rome

Rating:
Summary: Caveat Emptor for younger students!
Review: As a teacher of Grade V Greek and Roman History, I found the illustrations in this coloring book extremely useful. They supplemented perfectly the excellent but unillustrated Early Times text I was using. Not only are there good examples of aspects of Roman life, but also there are portraits of historical figures, as well as every one of the Roman emperors from Augustus to Commodus. All the illustrations are drawn directly from ancient sources, and the sources are given on each page. The renderings are clear and easy to color. Coloring, although out of favor with modern parents, is an excellent visual stimulus to memory. I used coloring time to cool off the little guys' brains after a tough lecture, while I read from Aeneas or Aesop's Fables. Bellerophon is the best!

Rating:
Summary: A Handy Resource for History Teachers
Review: As a teacher of Grade V Greek and Roman History, I found the illustrations in this coloring book extremely useful. They supplemented perfectly the excellent but unillustrated Early Times text I was using. Not only are there good examples of aspects of Roman life, but also there are portraits of historical figures, as well as every one of the Roman emperors from Augustus to Commodus. All the illustrations are drawn directly from ancient sources, and the sources are given on each page. The renderings are clear and easy to color. Coloring, although out of favor with modern parents, is an excellent visual stimulus to memory. I used coloring time to cool off the little guys' brains after a tough lecture, while I read from Aeneas or Aesop's Fables. Bellerophon is the best!

Rating:
Summary: Excellent attempt to make Rome accessible to children
Review: Based on ancient sources, both the texts and the images make Roman history come alive. The latin is there along with a decent translation and occasional commentary though by whom is not clear. Likewise the illustrations are uncredited but the original source is labeled well including the period and the location. The focus is really on the Empire period of Rome with only a few pages about the legendary foundations and the late Republic. So the book is misnamed a bit.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent attempt to make Rome accessible to children
Review: Based on ancient sources, both the texts and the images make Roman history come alive. The latin is there along with a decent translation and occasional commentary though by whom is not clear. Likewise the illustrations are uncredited but the original source is labeled well including the period and the location. The focus is really on the Empire period of Rome with only a few pages about the legendary foundations and the late Republic. So the book is misnamed a bit.

Rating:
Summary: Caveat Emptor for younger students!
Review: I must issue a buyer beware for parents of younger students. I am a homeschooling mom and I purchased this for my oldest (early elementary grade level). It has beautiful drawings and the cover is great. However, I have to say that some of the content of the book would be too difficult for a young elementary student. For example, the page on Romulus and Remus shows them naked (as children) and they are nursing under a she-wolf. I just felt that this would be "too much" for my daughter to handle. Also, I purchased other historical coloring books from Bellerophon and they are much the same with nudity and odd pictures and caricatures that are INAPPROPRIATE for younger students. Use Dover coloring books!