Customer Reviews

Mummies Made in Egypt

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I discovered this book while watching Reading Rainbow as a youngster, and absolutely fell in love with it. This wonderful book started me on my way to being the lover of ancient Egyptian culture and mythology that I am today. Though written for a very young audience, its very straightforward approach doesn't pull any punches. The mummification process is described in fascinating detail, and there are beautiful illustrations accompanying every page. There are even drawings of those Egytpian gods important to the mummification process. One of my favorite books of all time, it is a treasure-trove of knowedge about Egytpian culture. Pick it up; you won't be disappointed. Enjoy!

Kids love mummies, and mine are no exception. As Aliki (the book's author/illustrator) says, "A mummy is a mystery-hidden in layers of ancient bandage, bedecked with priceless jewels." We read Mummies Made in Egypt as part of our Egyptian study when our children were 7, 10 and 11. The back cover (accurately) says the book is written for ages 8 to 12. I have to admit I loved this book as much as my children and learned a lot from it. What's great, as another reviewer has pointed out, is that it's not morbid in any way. It presents the facts, clearly and simply, accompanied by equally simple and clear illustrations. Is there a better children's illustrator than Aliki?

I know it sounds strange, but this is a wonderful book for more advanced 2nd and 3rd graders. It's simple to follow, easy to read, and has interesting Egyptology and historical information. It's not spooky or morbid, but matter of fact. The illustrations are interesting and keep kids' attention. Both my daughter and son went through a month where they wanted to read it every night. And now my daughter goes to museums and says, Look Dad, an Udjat. (which you'll learn is a hieroglyphic symbol).

I must have checked it out a hundred times as a child when I was in elementary school. It is written in a beautiful and colourful comic book form. Yet is also very informitive and filled with interesting information. It gave me a fascination for mummies and ancient cultures that has lasted my whole life. Even the sensitive details are presented in a clinical, illuminating light. I would recommend this to some one of any age who has an interest in or mummies ancient egypt in general.

What a great book! The author gives really interesting information regarding mummies and how they're made. The illustrations are good too. I liked that the whole book was illustrated without real pictures of mummies as it creeps out my daughter! A great overview of the process the Egyptian priests used to mummify a person.

After doing a unit on Ancient Egypt with my kids, and renting all the books from the library, this is the one book on mummies that I actually went back and purchased so it could stay on our shelf. So many books out there are full of all kinds of garbage and freaky illustrations like Tut's actual decaying corpse. I know they want kids to experience the realism of a civilization, but so much about ancient Egypt is very dark. I love how this book is illustration-only and the illustrations make the subject more clear and friendly.

The book contains most of the Egyptian vocabulary your children need to learn too, like natron, ka, canopic jars, etc. There is a brief description of the gods/goddesses, so your child can learn the names and what they're responsible for without it being a huge distraction from the mummification process. There is a good explanation of why the Egyptians mummified people, and even the evolution of the mummification process (which I didn't see in any other book we used). There's a useful introduction to pyramids too.

Best of all, though, is that the book is usable for multiple age levels. My preschooler and kindergartner had a lot of fun looking at the pictures especially because, as Aliki always does, there are all these small details and cartoon-type interactions to notice. My elementary boys also had a great time catching the little jokes in there, and more of the fine-print details. The text covers the basics but has short, handleable paragraphs on each subject so the reader isn't overwhelmed.

If you already know a lot about Egypt, the book isn't boring. If this is your first time learning about Egypt, just the right amount is presented. For 6.99, it is great, great, great.

This is a very thorough, entertaining, and informative treatment of the subject of mummies. Illustrations in the book were inspired by ancient Egyptian art. This is a great book to supplement any elemenatary study of Egypt.

This book gives a great introduction to mummies: the who, why and how. I liked how the content was straight forward and written at an appropriate level. If you want a book that will introduce kids to Egyptian mummies, this is the book for you.

This is a wonderful information book for all ages. I used it with middle school students to increase their understanding of a complex subject written more simplistically. The pictures make ideas so step by step clear and are also visually pleasing. A book suitable for both the classroom and personal reading.

I love how this book describes the reasons and history behind the custom of mummification in Egypt, and not just the gory details. Oh, the gory details are there, and my son loved hearing about how they did it, but as we read, he also learned why they did it, and that is important in learning about one the world's first great civilization. Mummies are fascinating, but it is also very interesting to learn about the lives of the living ancient Egytians, and the religious beliefs that drove them to experiment and develop the process of mummification that created preserved remains that lasted thousands of years, and to build the collosal monuments to house them. The beautiful, colorful, and detailed illustrations also help make this a book we will read again and again.