Looking at some of the most influential, well-known, or even just the more unique personalities from the past is just one way to approach history. Color Thru History: The People of the Ancient World does just this with one twist - a coloring or activity page for each person. The period for the ancient world in this book runs from about 484BC to about AD565.

There are 30 historical people included in Color Thru History. These people were chosen because of their influence on history. Most of the people were real and proof of their lives exist. Some of the names fall into the categories of legend, myth, or tradition. Even so, their names are well known through the historical records, so a basic knowledge of each person helps the student better understand the people of the ancient world. 

Each person has a short section to read that tells about where he comes from and what he did in his life that was influential for history. There are images and maps to supplement the information and a small, narrow timeline at the bottom to see how the person relates to others that have been covered in the book already. The facing page has an image to color, though a few  have an activity to cut out and do. 

One of the men included is Atilla the Hun. There are two paragraphs about him. His timeline shows his place in history between AD300 and AD500 and in relation to Constantine and Augustine. There is a map showing the area of the Huns and three images that look like they might be from movies or wax statues. Atilla the Hun has a coloring image on the facing page.

Another of the men included is Plato. There are three paragraphs to read about him. His timeline shows his place in the dates between 500BC and 300 BC. There is an image showing buildings from an ancient city, perhaps Athens though it does not specify, two images of busts and one of a drawing titled "Plato and others in the Academy in Athens." The page for Plato is on Platonic solids so it is intended to be removed from the book. It is not perforated but comes out without too much trouble. The instructions for creating the 3D solid figures are on the page. 

With the book having one written page and one coloring page for each figure, it is easy to jump around and find those people who fit into the studies you are already doing. To use this supplement with current studies, we chose to read and color the pages of the historical figures that line up with the timeline of the Middle Ages study we have been using. We read the information and then color the page or do the activity for one person per day. Some of the coloring images are quite detailed so it takes several days to complete them. 

The information on each historical figure is not extensive and so it is suggested that further information be sought. However, their suggestion for seeking further information is from Wikipedia, so the teacher might want to suggest a different choice for additional research.

The concept of Color Thru History is fun and it is a good supplement to a history study.

-Product review by Lori Hooten, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, January 2020