The Greeks: Hide and Seek History is a wonderful introduction to ancient Greek culture. Chaaya Prabhat’s illustrations are gorgeous, and the flaps add a lot to the experience. The book has six main topics: What Can We Uncover (which introduces modern archaeology), Gods and Goddesses, Heroes and Heroines, Ancient Greek Geeks (a deep dive into math, sciences, literature, and culture), War and Combat (a sneaky way to introduce some important history and talk about Spartan culture), and Ancient Life. Starting with archaeology in a flap book is especially brilliant. There are multiple flaps on each page, and most flaps have additional flaps inside, which allow readers to literally peel back layers to uncover more information. 

Experienced readers may worry about the durability of a flap book like this. Fear not, the attachment points are (for the most part) wide and set into the cardboard pages for added support. In fact, the reason that it is a board book is to make room for the thick paper flaps. Another benefit of the flaps-within-flaps format is that it adds an extra layer of protection for half the flaps. Although this is a board book, its content and sheer size (10x13 inches and 2.5 pounds) make it more suitable for readers aged 5 and up. 
This book will get young readers excited about the past without glorifying ancient Greece or hiding its flaws. History, culture, and mythology are presented in an age-appropriate manner that is nevertheless both accurate and honest. The people have many different skin tones, as they would have in ancient times, and author Jonny Marx wisely includes many important female authors, scientists, and historical figures. African American scholar John Wesley Gilbert gets a flap, which is a first in my experience, and the Odyssey myth is told from Penelope’s point of view! My only quibble is that the book talks about Homer as a real person, but even then, it goes on to mention the alternative theory that the Homeric epics were composed by many people. All in all, this is a thoughtful, fun, well-designed book that will whet readers’ appetites for more. – Krishni Burns