Cleopatra's Coin, Vol. 2

Children's Literature - Marilyn Courtot

Even though Cleopatra was the queen of Egypt, she was not Egyptian; she came from a Greek family—the Ptolemies. Egypt was a country that was ruled for centuries by other countries—Macedonians, Romans and the like. While little is really known, there is no doubt that Cleopatra was highly intelligent and possessed some charm. As the queen she was also considered a goddess. There is quite a bit of information about this period in Egypt—as shown in the illustrations of paintings, sculpture and life in the city of Alexandria. The life of the Queen included work, entertainment and constant political jockeying in the courts. It is interesting to learn that Cleopatra was the lover of Julius Caesar and together they conquered Egypt. Caesar summoned her to Rome, but after Caesar's assassination she needed support and she turned to Marc Anthony who, according to the text, was a true scoundrel. His enemy was Octavian. Cleopatra decided to commit suicide when Octavian would not allow her children to rule Egypt—she was a true patriot. Octavian put Cleopatra's son Cesarian to death, but gave her twin sons by Marc Antony to his sister Octavia to raise. The final page debunks many of the legends that have sprung up over the years and sets the facts straight. This series, "Stories of Great People," is set up with a sister and brother team (Digby and Hannah) who visit the Knicknack Market and its vendors. One of them, Mr. Rummage, has a "disorderly jumble of things"—all of which fascinate Digby. These objects serve as the lead in to a story about a famous person. The factual accounts are interspersed with reactions from the kids and the book is liberally illustrated. It has atable of contents, an index, a brief glossary and an introduction to the cast of characters. The design and format are more likely to get kids reading than are most biographies for this age group. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot