This article is by Publisher Spotlight intern Lauren Neely.
Happy King Tut Day! 101 years ago as of November 4, 2023, King Tutankhamun’s tomb was discovered by British archaeologist, Howard Carter, in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings, where 63 pharaohs were buried from 1539 BC to 1075 BC. In celebration of this day, here are some of our favorite books on ancient Egypt from our publishers!
The Afterlife Tour starts here! With Bastet the mummified cat as your guide, Cicada Books’ Unofficial Guide to the Ancient Egyptian Afterlife will take readers with an interest in the macabre on a journey to unwrap the secrets of ancient Egyptian burials and gives you all of the knowledge needed to pass into Duat, the land of the dead. Written by Ziggy Hanaor and illustrated by Laura Winstone, this humorous book makes learning about the death rituals performed by ancient Egyptians lively, but make sure you pay attention, or you might be eaten by a crocodile-headed goddess.
Written by Jonny Marx and illustrated by Chaaya Prabhat, Tiger Tales’ Hide and Seek History series, Hide and Seek History: Ancient Egyptians is an interactive way to learn about ancient Egypt’s civilization. With more than 80 flaps that show how ancient Egyptians lived from their fashion to their social hierarchy, this book will have readers immersed in this impressive civilization’s culture.
Albatros Media’s Ancient Egypt for Kids takes readers back into the past to a civilization built on the Nile River 5,000 years ago. Written by Oldrich Ruzicka and illustrated by Tomas Tuma, this book informs readers on all aspects of ancient Egyptian life, from their gods and goddesses, to where they slept, and how they took care of their pets. Though the remnants of this civilization’s pyramids, tombs, and statues can still be seen today, this book shares information about these monuments through folding maps that show what they would have looked like when they were first built.
Similarly to the previously mentioned book on mummies, Nosy Crow’s Mummies Unwrapped, written by Victoria England and illustrated by Tom Froese, reveals the secrets of ancient Egyptian burials. In similar fashion, this book begins with how their dead were prepared for the afterlife, but rather than going on a fun journey with a mummified cat as your guide, you’re taken on an adventure filled with tomb raiding and curses. Although filled with grisly details, this book is a fun way to talk about the darker side of ancient Egypt’s tumultuous history.