How the Amazon Queen Fought the Prince of Egypt (Bccb Blue Ribbon Nonfiction Book Award (Awards)) [Hardcover]

Tamara Bower (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 22, 2005 | Series: Bccb Blue Ribbon Nonfiction Book Award (Awards)

Serpot, ruler of a land where women live free, without men, leads her Amazon warriors in battle against Prince Pedikhons of Egypt, who has come to see for himself if women can equal men, even in battle. Includes notes about Assyrian and Egyptian culture and hieroglyphics.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-6–This exceedingly handsome book tells of the famous women warriors besieged by an Egyptian and Assyrian army. Their queen uses both craft (her sister infiltrates the camp) and valor against the enemy, and personally goes head-to-head with the prince. Their daylong combat begins with insults but ends with a declaration of love that, after sweaty hours of lethal opposition, must be based on character rather than beauty. Bower takes the tale from a Hellenistic scroll, adding a few details. (Since the figures are all posed in archaic profile/frontal combination, the question of the sacrificed breast doesn't arise; in any case, the queen fights with spear and shield, not bow.) Budding Egyptologists and archaeologists will be enthralled by the hieroglyphs on endpapers and many pages. There are splendid frescolike panels; other spreads provide a drawing, text, and hieroglyph version of that portion of the text printed in bold. The deceptively simple-looking outline drawings will encourage imitation, though Bower's elegant spareness and lapis/sienna colors will be hard to equal. Five pages of information (including map and book list) at the end explain the source and the system of hieroglyphic writing. Hours of educational pleasure are pretty much guaranteed.–Patricia D. Lothrop, St. George's School, Newport, RI

From Booklist

Gr. 4-7. In ancient Assyria, Queen Serpot rules in a place where "Amazon women lived free without men." When an Egyptian army approaches, she sends out scouts to assess the enemy, plans the strategy, and battles the Egyptian prince Pedikhons mano a mano. Darkness finally interrupts their long, grueling fight; they put down their arms, recognize each other as equals (and lovers), and join forces. Taken from a fragment in an ancient myth known as the Story- Cycle of King Petubast, this retelling focuses on facts with only the thinnest hint of passion. Inspired by Egyptian and Assyrian art, the striking watercolor-and-gouache illustrations emulate ancient reliefs and feature rich, saturated earth colors. On most pages, a passage has also been written in clear, attractive hieroglyphs. Excellent appended notes provide historical background and information about the hieroglyphs and symbols; a bibliography rounds out the book. This slender offering will enrich ancient-civilization collections and attract budding Egyptologists as well. Linda Perkins
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum; 1 edition (March 22, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689844344
• ISBN-13: 978-0689844348
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 9.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,600,870 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Historical Fiction for the Younger Set, October 13, 2005

By 

Angela J. Thorpe "desertprincess" (Alamogordo, NM, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: How the Amazon Queen Fought the Prince of Egypt (Bccb Blue Ribbon Nonfiction Book Award (Awards)) (Hardcover)

Strong women, battling men, first at war, and eventually in love. Loosely based on real-life ancient history, this book is a feast for young imaginations with glimpses of past Assyria (the modern day Middle East), Egypt, and hieroglyphics. The book is educational as well as entertaining.

A fairly short book that won't overwhelm younger children (artistically stimulating for the pre-reader), but also keeps us old folks visually engaged.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully told and illustrated, May 4, 2005

By 

L. Hutter (Silicon Valley, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How the Amazon Queen Fought the Prince of Egypt (Bccb Blue Ribbon Nonfiction Book Award (Awards)) (Hardcover)

This story is an ancient tale with a modern sensibility. Two great leaders, a prince and a queen, who do not know much about each other at first, rise to battle each other, then learn to respect each other and join forces. It's a great story of adventure, empowerment and acceptance, beautifully told with Tamara Bower's rich, colorful, hieroglyphic style paintings. This is a great book for anyone who likes Egyptian art and classic storytelling.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful and Edifying, May 7, 2005

By 

Sandra D. Carter - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How the Amazon Queen Fought the Prince of Egypt (Bccb Blue Ribbon Nonfiction Book Award (Awards)) (Hardcover)

Applause to Tamara Bower for bringing back to life a story heard by ancient ears. Her attention to artistic detail makes this book a visual feast. With all of the information included in this book it is interesting for children as well as for adults.

Thank you Tamara Bower for this treasure!