Egypt in Spectacular Cross-section

Stephen Biesty's Cross-Sections

by Stephen Biesty (Illustrator), Stewart Ross

Following on from his internationally bestselling book on Rome, master illustrator Stephen Biesty brings his magic touch to the subject of ancient Egypt. It is over 3200 years ago in ancient Egypt, in the reign of the great god-king Rameses II. And for 11-year-old Dedia, a great adventure is
about to begin. Join Dedia as he accompanies his father - and a couple of troublesome relations - on a once-in-a-lifetime journey down the Nile. Among the splendours on the way, you will see...

* The hidden secrets of the Valley of the Kings
* Amun-Ra's magnificent temple at Karnak (Luxor)
* Preparation of a mummy and an Egyptian funeral
* The pyramids and Sphinx of Giza
* The ancient Step Pyramid at Saqqara
* Rameses's spectacular palace at Piramesse

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Childrens, Picture Books, Egypt, Middle Grade, Art

29 pages, Paperback

Published March 1, 2007

About the author

Stephen Biesty is the creator of Stephen Biesty’s Incredible Cross-Sections, which has sold more than a million copies worldwide since its publication in 1992. He lives in Somerset, England.

Reviews

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fine introduction as to what life was like in Ancient Egypt. I would have liked more details hence the four stars instead of five.

OVERALL GRADE: B plus.

[Catherine Oughtibridge]

I have quite a few books on Ancient Egypt. This is my favourite.

You don’t need to know anything to read it and understand. You could know all the theory and I believe you’d still flick through the large pages, studying each picture following the interactions of the characters with a sense of wonder. It doesn’t matter if you’re five, or 105, this is a book accessible and enticing for all.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these books, there's just a lot for a reader (they're geared toward kids, 9 to 12) to enjoy. The Egypt book is especially fun with anthropological and archeological facts interspersed in a simple story. There's some humour, and the very detailed illustrations show many facets of everyday life, including injury and death. The copy I read was a library book with a 2004 copywrite.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like it. It has a lot of details. The pictures are very interesting. I learned something. It makes my inner child happy. It is a good book.

[Cassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, it's a kids book. But it kinda just jumped out of the 'recently returned' shelf at the library when I was returning something myself and it started waving at me. Personally, I blame Daniel Jackson! LOL. But no, there was something about the picture on the cover that caught my eye, and really other than a little bit about the mythology, I don't know anything abou Ancient Egypt. Kids books can often be a really good, basic, introduction to a topic - puts things in simple language and gives just enough information to trigger whether or not you're interested, without you having to put too much effort in.
Maybe that's just my way of seeing it.

But I'm actually really enjoyed it. The detail in the artwork in incredible, there's so much to look at that I didn't know where to start. I found there's just enough information to whet my appetite and make me want to know more, but it's not overwhelming or distracting from the pictures. It's covers the Nile, a harbour, a temple, a quarry, a merchant's house, a funeral (and mummification), pyramids, farming and a palace. I loved that so many different aspects of day-to-day life are featured.

Definitely a two thumbs up from me. A good 5/5 :)

[Emily Parsons · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is all about Egyptian culture. It tells about every aspect of life back in Egyptian time, from mummification to a day in the life of royalty. I have been fascinated with Egyptian culture since I was little and was absolutely enthralled with this book. Everything I could ever want to know is in this book! I would use this book when teaching about ancient Egypt and possibly archaeology.

[H. Gibson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chronicles of Han Storm Book Club Read (Educational, Ancient Egypt)

A spectacular book for older children and adults (the little ones are a bit overwhelmed by the dissection of the buildings and areas.)

[Regina Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some of the stuff is just amazin, believe me you never saw Egypt LIKE THAT!

[Rory]

I love it

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This really is a pretty great book. Wonderful detail. An engaging story. Really neat illustration. Very good for raising a child's interest in the mysteries of Egypt.