Product Description

Prince Dhutmose has commanded a splendid tomb to be built for his final journey to the Land of the Dead. Pepi's father is to decorate it, but how can he paint the unimaginable—the terrible gods: Horus the Hawk, Sebek the Crocodile, and Mertseger the Winged Cobra? Pepi decides to help him and, armed with his quick wits and a knowledge of secret names, the boy sets out into the wild to bring back real-life models for his father. In this magically illustrated story, young readers can solve the secret names for themselves, using a simple hieroglyphics key that brings them into the mysterious world of ancient Egypt.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #767949 in Books
• Published on: 2005-02-10
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 32 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Pyramids, hieroglyphics, secret names, a lowly painter and an exacting pharaoh-the elements of this elegantly illustrated story are ripe with possibilities, but they never cohere. When Pepi's father descends into Prince Dhutmose's tomb to paint the animals that will accompany the prince to the Land of the Dead, Pepi bravely provides him with live models-a lion, hawk, crocodile and cobra-for he has guessed their secret names (the point of a secret name, however, is never explained). In the text, the names are presented in hieroglyphics, thus bringing the story to a temporary halt; a code in the back of the book, though not linguistically accurate, allows readers to write English words in hieroglyphics "just for fun." Nor are similarly elaborate details fully integrated into the narrative. Greenaway Medalist French (Anancy and Mr. Dry Bone) combines crisply stylized tomb paintings with child-pleasing caricatures of animals, but the page design sometimes seems frenetic-pale, pastel designs oddly mingling with brightly colored Egyptian motifs. While the writer and the illustrator each demonstrate individual strengths, text and pictures do little to enhance each other. Ages 6-up.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Grade 2-5?Pepi's father is an artist who has been commissioned by Egyptian Prince Dhutmose to decorate his royal tomb. To help the man accurately portray creatures like the Lions of the Horizon and Horus the Hawk, Pepi befriends the real-life animals, guesses their secret names, and convinces them to pose for his father. When all the work is completed, Prince Dhutmose is well pleased with the artwork, with Pepi's talent at name-guessing, and with the chance inclusion of the prince's well-loved cat in the many tomb paintings. Based on imagination and fact, this oversized book with its brilliant illustrations in lapis, sand, and crocodile tones will make a good addition to units on ancient Egypt. Kids might also get a kick out of deciphering the hieroglyphics using the key at the back of the book.?Cathryn A. Camper, Minneapolis Public Library
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Gr. 3^-5, younger for reading aloud. Pepi's father, who has been commissioned to decorate the tomb of Prince Dhutmose, likes to work with live models when creating carvings and paintings. The family goose is readily available, but lions, hawks, crocodiles, and cobras are more difficult to procure. Coming to his father's aid, Pepi persuades these wild creatures to pose by guessing each one's secret name (spelled out for readers in hieroglyphics). French's boldly colored illustrations mesh closely with the text and echo both the style and content of Egyptian funereal decorations. She includes representations of several Egyptian gods and symbols, as well as many traditional designs. Children will particularly enjoy searching for the little tabby cat (Prince Dhutmose's pet, Lady Tmiao), who works her way into each portion of the painting. The appended section explaining Egyptian picture writing will encourage young readers to create their own glyphs, making this a valuable addition to classroom units to ancient Egypt. Kay Weisman

Customer Reviews

Wonderful book!!
When I first opened this book, I thought, "No way the kids are going to sit and listen to all this text," but was I ever wrong! The language is pure storytelling magic -- they were spellbound. Oh, and they learned something about ancient Egypt, their gods, burials, and hieroglypics. But the one detail that makes this book irresistable is Lady Miaou, the cat, eating roast duck. My kids will read it just for the tabby cat. :)

Great book. Easy read and informative
This book has great pictures and is very informative in an easy to read format. I am very Christian but in no way were we offended in the way it discussed the gods of Egypt. They believed in gods and they are taught as part of history.