Egyptian Gods and Goddesses (All Aboard Reading) [Paperback]

Henry Barker (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-3-This beginning reader opens with a brief lineup of gods and goddesses including Horus, Re, Thoth, Montu, Osiris, Isis, and Anubis and then goes into an account of the Egyptians' fascination with death and the afterlife. Readers find out why pyramids and mummies were so important, and how bodies were prepared for their trip to the Underworld. The book closes with a quick look at modern Egyptians and their beliefs. The watercolor illustrations have decorative borders, hieroglyphs, and line drawings of people and gods. Much of the book is devoted to the exploration of death customs and belief systems; the gods and goddesses play a minor part, rendering the title slightly misleading. Also, some of the vocabulary may be difficult for new readers. Still, the information is good and easy enough to satisfy budding interests.
Angela J. Reynolds, Washington County Cooperative Library Services, Aloha, OR
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap (October 25, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0448420295
• ISBN-13: 978-0448420295
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #156,175 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #7 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Religions > Fiction > Other
  • #16 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Social Science > Folklore & Mythology
  • #26 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > History & Historical Fiction > Fiction > Ancient Civilizations

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Gods, Goddesses & Mummies, Oh my! -- a review of "Egyptian Gods and Goddesses", September 21, 2007

By 

Pam Tee "Busy Mom" - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Egyptian Gods & Goddesses (All Aboard Reading. Station Stop 2) (Hardcover)

So many beginning readers are fiction, so it is nice to run across something in the non-fiction genre. This particular book's focus is death and the afterlife in ancient Egypt. It begins with a discussion of the more familiar gods -- Osiris, Isis and Anubis -- what they looked like and what attributes they had. It then goes on to describe the dangers to the soul that were thought to exist as it transitioned from life to death. Including the final judgement at the end.

Other points of interest are the burial practices. The book actually goes into a considerable detail about how mummies were made. Very cool, but not gross. There is also a discussion of pyramids including some of the typical contents that might be found inside: items such as glassware, chairs, and musical instruments. Examples of cuneiform are shown. The book finishes by noting that modern Egyptians are mostly Muslim and that they pray to one god - Allah.

The publisher lists this book as a Level Two and suggests it as a practice reader for those in first, second, and third grades. However, the Accelerated Reading designation for this book is 3.2 -- which means that that group feels that the book is best suited for new Third Graders.

[The AR designation is a general "guide" that rates books on a relative scale of difficulty. Children can certainly read at levels above or below their group range, so that this number should only be used as a aid to help choose books that are appropriate and not frustrating.]

You find vocabulary words such as: festival, people, prayed, thousand, special, powers, brought, warmth, guarded, warriors, protected, etc.

Four Stars. Okay Read-aloud. In general, I think this book is a nice introduction to a historical period most young children wouldn't otherwise be exposed to for years. Content is fascinating and even I learned something.

Annoyingly there is no pronunciation guide. Most adults may know the names, but children probably won't.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Start for Kids, September 7, 2001

By 

"[e-mail]" (FL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Egyptian Gods and Goddesses (All Aboard Reading) (Paperback)

My young daughter has gotten into mythology and ancient religion and this is one of the few books I've found geared towards the young reader. It contains a lot of good beginner information about the Gods/Goddesses of Egypt. I highly recommend this book for the Level 2 reader.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fine for K-1st, November 13, 2010

By 

L. B. Keller (Connecticut) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Egyptian Gods and Goddesses (All Aboard Reading) (Paperback)

I bought this for my 1st and 3rd grader. It was very simplistic which is fine for a K-1 but the concept is a little abstract for a K-1. It was fine but I passed it on as soon as we finished it.