Mummies, Pyramids, and Pharaohs: A Book About Ancient Egypt [Hardcover]

Gail Gibbons (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2004 | Grade Level: P and up

Provides an overview of life in ancient Egypt, describing the people, daily activities, beliefs and customs, and what has been learned from artifacts left behind.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3–With her usual flair for simplifying complex topics, Gibbons makes ancient Egyptian civilization accessible to young readers. She offers ample material for children exploring mummies, pyramids, and pharaohs for the first time. Much information is communicated through the watercolor illustrations and accompanying captions. The text is limited to a few short sentences at the bottom of each page, a feature that earmarks this title for independent reading. To explain the Egyptians' belief in an afterlife, Gibbons shows a man standing next to the outline of his own body. Inside the outline is a bright yellow star, depicting the man's soul. Easy definitions of Ka and Ba are provided, and the process of mummification is presented in a sequential, straightforward manner. The last page is packed with bonus facts that are sure to please new Egyptologists. This title is perfect for fans of Aliki's Mummies Made in Egypt (HarperCollins, 1979) and Joanna Cole's Ms. Frizzle's Adventures: Ancient Egypt (Scholastic, 2001).–Gloria Koster, West School, New Canaan, CT
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

PreS-Gr. 2. Gibbons uses her familiar formula of basic text and ink-and-watercolor illustrations to introduce a topic of inherent interest to most kids--ancient Egypt. Spreads offer brief facts about society, homes, clothing, farming methods, and craftsmanship before turning to the enticing subject of mummies. Several pages include interesting details about how Egyptians prepared the wellborn for the afterlife, with close-up drawings of mummification and a cross-section of a pyramid's burial chambers. Younger children may need help with some of the more abstract concepts, such as the ancient Egyptians' spiritual beliefs. There are plenty of books available on the subject for this age group, but this one is a good place to start, with an approachable, simple text; lively scenes of Egyptians working and celebrating; and definitions of basic terms. Gibbons squeezes more interesting facts on a final page, which offers a bit of world context: "Other cultures, like the Mayans and the Aztecs, built great pyramids, too." Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; 1st edition (June 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316309281
• ISBN-13: 978-0316309288
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 0.4 x 11.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #646,662 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #53 in Books > Children's Books > History > Africa

More About the Author

Gail Gibbons has published close to fifty distinguished nonfiction titles with Holiday House. According to "The Washington Post," "Gail Gibbons has taught more preschoolers and early readers about the world than any other children's writer-illustrator." She lives in Vermont. Her website is www.gailgibbons.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A highly recommended nonfiction book, August 8, 2004

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mummies, Pyramids, and Pharaohs: A Book About Ancient Egypt (Hardcover)

Gail Gibbons' Mummies, Pyramids, And Pharaohs is a children's picturebook that explores daily life and belief in the afterlife among the people of ancient Egypt. Aptly researched and presented in plain terms along with color illustrations stylistically reminiscent of ancient egyptian art, Mummies, Pyramids, And Pharaohs is as educational as it is enthralling. A highly recommended nonfiction book to whet young minds' curiosity about world history, Mummies, Pyramids, And Pharaohs would make a popular addition to any school or community library system collection.

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mummies, Pyramids, and Pharaohs (Oh my), February 23, 2006

By 

Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Mummies, Pyramids, and Pharaohs: A Book About Ancient Egypt (Hardcover)

"Mummies, Pyramids, and Pharaohs" is what writer-artist Gail Gibbons uses to get young readers to take a look at this book about Ancient Egypt, but she gets beyond the main attractions to provide a nice little introduction to this ancient civilization. The idea is for young readers to travel back in time to when one of the world's first civilizations began five thousand years ago along the banks of the Nile River. For three thousands of those years the pharaohs ruled over Egypt, and each was believed to be Horus, the son of Ra, the great sun god.

Gibbons looks at the "Black Land" of fertile soil around the Nile, the life of the Pharaohs, the organization of ancient Egyptian society, and families lived back then. Appearance mattered to people, farmers depended on water from the Nile, and craftspeople had plenty of gold and copper to work with to make beautiful objects. Sections are devoted to picture writing, medicinal healing (and magic), feasts and celebrations. Gibbons looks at the primary beliefs of Egyptian religion and the basic process of mummification (without going into detail on how the body's organs were removed, which is the icky part). This gets us to the pyramids, which remain the most obvious symbol of ancient Egypt we can see today, and young readers come full circle to the museums around the world where mummies and other artifacts are on exhibit.

The final page of the book looks at some Ancient Egypt Discoveries and covers a bunch of interesting facts, such as more than 80 pyramids have been discovered in Egypt and the priest in charge of making a mummy wore the mask of a jackal symbolizing Anubis the god of the dead. The illustrations for this book are done in watercolors and are certainly kid friendly, which should make them easy for young readers to imitate. The result is a nice introductory overview of life in ancient Egypt that tells young readers about the people, daily activities, beliefs and customs that we have learned about from the artifacts they left behind.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars mummies, pyramids and paraohs, May 23, 2007

By 

Grace F. Page - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mummies, Pyramids, and Pharaohs: A Book About Ancient Egypt (Hardcover)

This book was great for my kids 8 and 6 . They enoyed it very much and like to read it often. It was especially helpful before seeing the King Tut exhibit.