Hail! Ancient Greeks (Hail! History)

With a cover as exclamation-point heavy as a newsstand magazine begging for attention, this book in the Hail! History series promises a celeb profile (“Alexander!”), “Secrets of the Athletes!” (Olympics), and even vacation tips (“See the Acropolis before you die!”). The inside doesn’t get any less frenetic while discussing Greece’s golden age—around 500 BCE—and what made it so golden. Topics touch on gods and goddesses, landmarks, politics, arts, health, home life, trade, athletics, philosophy, and warfare. It’s certainly a lot to cover in 32 pages, but the large trim size allows for several boxes, splashes, illustrations, and other chunk-sized morsels to jostle for attention on each spread, and it also keeps things from becoming too claustrophobic.