Customer Reviews

Egyptian Gods and Goddesses (All Aboard Reading)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

While there are a lot of sight-words in this book, it is very accessible for novice readers. I got this book alone with easy readers on the Nile and King Tut for a unit we did on Egypt. It could also be useful for a unit on ancient mythology (when paired with books on Ancient Roman and Greek myths).

Beautifully illustrated children's book. Gives basics of Egyptian Gods and Goddesses, ancient Eryptian beliefs in afterlife, mummies, pyramids, and more. Great for kids, with or without a trip to the museum!

I'll admit that I was looking into books for research on Egyptian History and Mythology, with a limited budget. That's how this made its way into an order and to my house.

I'm giving it four stars, because it a great book, short book for young children. It will help kids get into historical and mythological events and perhaps develop an interest in our past.
For older readers, I would recommend this no more than as a simple overview of information that just brushes the basics. It's a nice, simple read for those days when you feel the need to just relax and read something that doesn't strain you.

I'd also recommend it to parents of younger children. With its pictures and simple writing, it's a great way to spend some time with your kids - a story before bed or just for fun.

Overall, it's a decent book if used right, but not something I'd recommend for hardcore researchers. Because of that, I give it 4/5 stars.

Ok, if you are teaching little kids about Ancient Egypt, you must have this book. I was homeschooling my older children but looking for something that my kindergartner and first grader could read too, and this book was perfect. It is easy enough for your first/second grader to read, it is only $3.99, and it is a great introduction to Egyptian religion without being too weird.

I confess I am super picky and conservative about my resource choices... I don't want my kids freaked out by pictures of dead Tut or lured into the "mummy's curse" type garbage. I was surprised that the book, despite the title, was not an introduction to the whole Egyptian pantheon. If you want that, you need another book. Rather, it walks the reader through the story or process of the dead person and their soul. The surprisingly simple text was helpful even for me, to think through the connections to my own faith. I was able to interpret the ancient practices in a more helpful light than usual.

I think the main strength of the book is its information, which is non-fiction but not dry, even for a little kid. IT doesn't regurgitate the common facts about how to make a mummy, but rather explores the religious reasons underneath such practices. The illustrations are good and the author presents the polytheism without making it seem overly intriguing, spooky, or confusing... high praise for a little kids' book on Egypt.

After going through a mini-library on the subject of ancient Egypt, I keep coming back to this one because it is so level-headed. Even my older readers benefited from "the basics" given here.

This book is good for people just starting out on studying mythology. It was a little simplistic but easy to follow, some books on mythology can getting confusing if you aren't good at remembering who is who but this one was easy to keep track with.