Pyramids and Mummies
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Overview
Welcome to the world of Pharaohs, mummies, and untapped secrets
Welcome to ancient Egypt!
On the northeast of Africa, divided by the river Nile, lies a majestic land that was once home to powerful kings such as King Tutankhamun and King Ramesses II and extraordinary queens such as Cleopatra
In Pyramids and Mummies learn how these magnificent royals lived, read stories about the king of the dead, get a detailed the Great Pyramid, find out about the puzzling mystery behind the Great Sphinx, wonder at real live accounts of King Tutankhamun's curse, and much more!
With a pyramid design and an interior that is as packed with surprises as the real thing, Pyramids and Mummies is sure to pique the interest of the explorer in all.
Synopsis
Welcome to the world of Pharaohs, mummies, and untapped secrets
Welcome to ancient Egypt!
On the northeast of Africa, divided by the river Nile, lies a majestic land that was once home to powerful kings such as King Tutankhamun and King Ramesses II and extraordinary queens such as Cleopatra
In Pyramids and Mummies learn how these magnificent royals lived, read stories about the king of the dead, get a detailed the Great Pyramid, find out about the puzzling mystery behind the Great Sphinx, wonder at real live accounts of King Tutankhamun's curse, and much more!
With a pyramid design and an interior that is as packed with surprises as the real thing, Pyramids and Mummies is sure to pique the interest of the explorer in all.
Children's Literature
Shaped like a pyramid and covered with gilded hieroglyphics, this is an elegant presentation of a topic that never ceases to enthrall. However, the layout and structure of the book limit its value. The text is very small, often in a cursive font and written at a level above most elementary school readers for whom the pyramid shape would have the greatest appeal. Each page/spread describes a different aspect of death in Ancient Egypt—making a mummy, dressing the dead, journey to the afterlife, stairways to the sky, Khufu's Great Pyramid, the Sphinx, robbers, spells and stories, the mummy's curse. There are gruesome details and photos of mummies as well as photos and diagrams of pyramids. Many pages include loose items held in envelopes or pockets—pieces for a game of asps and ladders, illustrations of the layers of wrapping on a mummy (drawn on a booklet shaped like a sarcophagus), amulets that might be found in a tomb, an x-ray of a cat mummy. These are all clever but too easily separated from the book in a classroom or library. Pyramids and Mummies might best serve the home library of a young reader who has taken a particular interest in Ancient Egypt. Reviewer: Karen Leggett
Editorials
Children's Literature -
Shaped like a pyramid and covered with gilded hieroglyphics, this is an elegant presentation of a topic that never ceases to enthrall. However, the layout and structure of the book limit its value. The text is very small, often in a cursive font and written at a level above most elementary school readers for whom the pyramid shape would have the greatest appeal. Each page/spread describes a different aspect of death in Ancient Egypt—making a mummy, dressing the dead, journey to the afterlife, stairways to the sky, Khufu's Great Pyramid, the Sphinx, robbers, spells and stories, the mummy's curse. There are gruesome details and photos of mummies as well as photos and diagrams of pyramids. Many pages include loose items held in envelopes or pockets—pieces for a game of asps and ladders, illustrations of the layers of wrapping on a mummy (drawn on a booklet shaped like a sarcophagus), amulets that might be found in a tomb, an x-ray of a cat mummy. These are all clever but too easily separated from the book in a classroom or library. Pyramids and Mummies might best serve the home library of a young reader who has taken a particular interest in Ancient Egypt. Reviewer: Karen LeggettSchool Library Journal
Gr 4-6- Though removable sets of character cards (for major gods) and paper "amulets" guarantee that this look at the ancient Egyptian take on death, burial, and the afterlife won't survive intact for long, it's likely to be a hot item while it lasts. Nearly every spread between the triangular (yes, triangular), gold-foil-decked covers features a flap, pocket, or pop-up, and the illustrations are an alluring mix of gold, images from ancient walls, cutaway views, and dried-out bodies. Almost hidden beneath all the visual glamour is a better-than-average text that begins with the death(s) of Osiris, ends with a game of "Asps and Ladders," and in between touches on the preparation of mummies, the history and purposes of Egyptian pyramids, animal mummies, sphinxes, King Tut, and other related topics. All in all, an ephemeral but artfully designed showstopper.-John Peters, New York Public Library