Egypt - History, Fiction - Historical People, General & Miscellaneous Ancient Egyptian History, Character Types - Fiction

Nefertari, Princess of Egypt

Name: Nefertari, Princess of Egypt
Author: Roberta Angeletti
ISBN: 9780195215076

by Roberta Angeletti

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Overview

Anna is a little girl who loves cats, even though she is allergic to them. On vacation with her family in Egypt, she notices a gray cat and decides to take her picture. Following her new friend, the little girl slips right into the tomb of Nefertari, the mighty and beautiful Egyptian queen. Anna is admiring the splendid wall paintings when Nefertari herself appears with the cat in her arms. The queen explains that cats were sacred in Egypt, and introduces Anna to the cat goddess, Bastet, and other gods. She asks the little girl to take her photograph with Osiris-Ra and the other figures in the wall painting. At the crucial moment, however, the jackal-headed god Anubis barks and startles the cat. She jumps into Anna's arms, Anna sneezes, and the photograph is ruined. The tomb keeper wakes up and rushes in to find innocent-faced Anna all by herself, but all the Egyptians have switched positions on the walls.
A three-page chapter at the end of the book goes back through time to tell us who the mighty Egyptians were, how they built their gigantic pyramids, who their gods were, how their kings were buried, and how they wrote down words. It also explains such fascinating words as pharaoh, sarcophagus, papyrus, and hieroglyphs.

About the Author, Roberta Angeletti

Roberta Angeletti lives and works in Italy. She is a well-known illustrator, sculptor, and engraver, and has recently achieved popularity as a children's writer. She has won numerous prestigious prizes for her illustrations.

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Editorials

Children's Literature - Marilyn Courtot

A young boy loses his ball in what appears to be a cave. Inside he sees strange scenes and one that includes his ball. When he plays upon the wooden flute he finds, one of the figures comes to life. He is Vulca, the Etruscan who tells him about his people. In the course of the discussion, Robbie learns that he had entered an Etruscan tomb. It is a painless way of teaching some history, but the premise is a bit farfetched. The final three pages contain a few facts about the Etruscans. Part of "A Journey Through Time" series.

School Library Journal

Gr 3-5 Each of these picture books begins with a modern child who travels back in time to learn a few facts about an ancient culture. Three pages of historical background follow the stories. In Nefertari, Anna follows a cat into the tomb of an Egyptian princess who tells the girl about some of the Egyptian gods and goddesses. In Vulca, Robbie and his dog meet an ancient Etruscan near the Necropolis. The format of the stories and the colorful cartoon illustrations will appeal to younger children than those for whom the cultural and historic backgrounds are intended. Information is slight, and the narratives are mildly amusing, though somewhat stilted. Reluctant readers may be drawn to them, but for a more informative and creative approach, try Scott Steedman's The Egyptian News (Candlewick, 1997). Cynthia M. Sturgis, Ledding Library, Milwaukee, OR Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

In the Journey Through Time series, a small tourist tiptoes into an ancient Egyptian tomb and meets its guest of honor. Anna at first finds only wall paintings in the shadowy chambers—but her shouts bring the smiling figures to life, with Nefertari herself, wife of Rameses II, stepping down to name the painted gods and translate some of the hieroglyphics. Even with an added spread of basic facts about ancient Egypt, the historical information is as skimpy as the plotline, and readers may be disappointed that Nefertari has so little to say about her life or times. Still, the figures and symbols in Angeletti's clean-lined cartoons are based on real tomb paintings, and glow with light and color. (Picture book. 7-9)