Treasury of Egyptian Mythology: Classic Stories of Gods, Goddesses, Monsters & Mortals

by Donna Jo Napoli, Christina Balit (Illustrator)

Overview

The new National Geographic Treasury of Egyptian Mythology is a stunning tableau of Egyptian myths, including those of pharaohs, queens, the boisterous Sun God Ra, and legendary creatures like the Sphinx. The lyrical storytelling of award-winning author Donna Jo Napoli dramatizes the timeless tales of ancient Egypt in the year when Angelina Jolie will make Cleopatra a multimedia star. And just like the popular National Geographic Treasury of Greek Mythology, the stories in this book will be beautifully illustrated to bring ancient characters vividly to life. 

The stories are embellished with sidebars that provide historical, cultural, and geographic context and a mapping feature that adds to the fun and fascination. Resource notes and ample back matter direct readers to discover more about ancient Egypt. With its attractive design and beautiful narrative, this accessible treasury stands out from all other mythology titles in the marketplace.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781426318610
Publisher:	Disney Press
Publication date:	08/05/2015
Sold by:	DISNEY PUBLISHING WORLDWIDE -EBKS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	192
Sales rank:	619,416
File size:	156 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

National Geographic Kids

Editorial Reviews

★ 09/30/2013
In this excellent companion volume to Treasury of Greek Mythology, Napoli and Balit introduce a panoply of Egyptian gods, goddesses, and other characters, while placing them in the context of Egyptian history, culture, and social mores. Balit’s captivating illustrations mimic the decorative art styles of ancient Egyptians, with manicured lines, prominent use of gold, and detailed patterns. Napoli’s gripping and candid prose informs while offering the immediacy of a contemporary fantasy novel: “Wrath made Sekhmet blood-crazed. She was vengeance incarnate. Death seemed attracted to her.” Sidebars provide additional insights into the lives of ancient Egyptians and other topics, from a brief description of papyrus-making to the rights of Egyptian women under ancient law. These mythological beings emerge as fully formed characters through equally powerful storytelling and images. Ages 8–12. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

Named a 2014 Notable Children's Book by the Association for Library Service to Children

"Sumptuous of format, magisterial of content, stimulating for heart and mind both." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Mythological beings emerge as fully formed characters through equally powerful storytelling and images." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

"In this exemplary book of folklore, Napoli introduces young readers to Egyptian mythology with vivid language and illustration and anchors the tales in intriging and research-supported interpretation." —Association for Library Service to Children

"Resplendent illustrations heighten reader interest in the Egyptian mythological creation stories contained in this oversized anthology." —Library Media Connection

From the Publisher

12/01/2013
Gr 5 Up—Ra spits on the ground and a goddess springs forth. A devoted wife holds a flower so her husband may inhale the scent and a baby appears among the petals. A woman mourns and fertile farmland turns to dust. Prolific storyteller Napoli brings the ancient Egyptian gods to life for modern readers—their jealousies, passions, and grief are the driving forces in tales that explain creation, the seasons, the afterlife, and natural phenomena. Napoli's tone is swaying and intimate, earthy and incantatory, as if she were spinning tales aloud. "In the beginning…ah, many stories open that way." Sentences are fragmented, phrases are repeated, and wonderfully descriptive images are drawn from the physical world: tinkling jewelry, "thorns of anger," hot winds carrying grinding sand. Balit's glowing illustrations combine the flat, frontal style of ancient tomb paintings with flowing, graceful shapes. Curiously, the artist has chosen a very light skin tone for most of the Egyptians—both divine and human-in her paintings, with no explanation offered. Text pages are adorned with patterned borders, textured margins, and scattered stylized stars in gold. These effects, combined with stiff paper and a color palette drawn from semiprecious stones and metals, lend the book a weighty, sacramental quality. A lyrical retelling of the braided, interwoven, sometimes contradictory stories from the land of the Sphinx.—Paula Willey, Baltimore County Public Library, Towson, MD

School Library Journal

★ 2013-09-15
Napoli (Treasury of Greek Mythology, 2011) again challenges readers to regard the old gods in new ways. The author provocatively explores the thesis that ancient Egyptian worship could be considered monotheistic, considering how closely intertwined the culture's gods were in origins and natures. She introduces 17 major deities and a handful of minor ones in a mix of equally lively stories and exposition, beginning with Ra's self-creation from the unchanging ("Boring, really") waters of Nun. The divine council known as the Pesedjet convenes, and Usir (Osiris) is killed by Set but magically revived for one night with his beloved Aset (Isis). A final chapter introduces Imhotep, architect of the first pyramid, who was born human but later deified. Depicted in a flat, art-deco style but reminiscent of Leo and Diane Dillon's figures in gravitas and richness of color and detail, deities and earthly creatures lend visual dimension to the mystical, larger-than-life grandeur of the stories as well as reflecting their more human griefs, jealousies and joys. Reinforcing a sense of otherness, Napoli uses the Egyptian forms of names throughout, though they are paired to their more recognizable Greek equivalents in running footers. To shed light on the mortal Egyptians, she intersperses boxed cultural notes, as well as chapters on mummification and "The Great Nile." Sumptuous of format, magisterial of content, stimulating for heart and mind both. (map, timeline, gallery of deities, postscript discussion of sources, bibliography, index) (Mythology. 11-14)

Kirkus Reviews