The Unofficial Guide to the Ancient Egyptian Afterlife

Gr 3-5–A mummified cat called Bastet takes readers on a journey to the ancient Egyptian afterlife, passing by the Hall of Osiris, where the dead travelers are judged with the god Anubis, and arriving to Aaru, a fertile land surrounded by rivers. The narrator Bastet provides brief but detailed information about ancient Egypt’s history, gods, the riveting process of mummification, meaning of different artifacts, pyramids, hieroglyphics, and the steps necessary to prepare the dead for this journey. That narrative is organized in speech bubbles in black text set on pastel backgrounds. The colorful illustrations, placed across spreads and single pages, are an important element in the book, expressing the information accessibly, comprehensively, and helping readers decode the meaning of the text. Winstone’s use of color also plays a relevant role in attracting and keeping readers involved with attention with primary, secondary, and pastel colors filling the animated images. Readers will learn vocabulary words and find a time line spanning 5000-30 BC. This book could be used in classrooms or kept on the shelves for browsers. The back matter also includes a glossary.