The Scarab's Secret

by Nick Would, Christina Balit (Illustrator)

The tiniest of creatures can change the fate of a great Pharaoh.

The chance meeting of Khepri, the small scarab beetle, and the powerful Pharaoh turns out to be a life altering experience for both and, ultimately, shapes the fate of the young leader. After the scarab uncovers a mysterious plot to murder the Pharaoh he is determined to put an end to it. The tiny scarab with a big heart helps the Pharaoh avert danger and saves the life of his precious ruler.

Lavishly illustrated with fifth color gold ink on the cover, this fascinating picture book elegantly depicts ancient Egypt and delivers the important message that even the smallest of creatures can make an impact. A perfect supplement to classroom studies and a great gift for Egyptphiles!

Genres: Egypt, Picture Books, Historical Fiction, Childrens, Fiction

26 pages, Hardcover

First published May 2, 2006

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Living in the walls of an ancient Egyptian temple, a small scarab beetle is going about his daily activities when he encounters a young prince. Khepri, whose name means "rising sun," finds himself transported shortly thereafter to an ornate tomb that is still under construction. Here he discovers a dangerous paving stone in one of the subterranean passages of the tomb, and rightly concludes that a trap has been laid - a trap for the very prince he so recently encountered. Fortunately, the prince sees Khepri a second time, and allows the beetle to lead the way, thereby preventing an attempted assassination, and securing an honored place for Khepri in Egyptian tradition...

An imaginative 'what if" story, Nick Would's The Scarab's Secret does not appear to be based upon any actual Egyptian myth, although the god Ra is mentioned in the narrative. Rather, it appears to be a work of historical fiction, one which attempts to explain the significance of the scarab beetle to the ancient Egyptians. I found the story here engaging, and thought that the accompanying artwork from illustrator Christian Balit was absolutely marvelous. I love Balit's use of color and stylized forms, and found each page a pleasure to peruse. I'd recommend this one to children who are interested in Ancient Egypt, as well as to fellow fans of Balit's artwork.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked this one. The kiddos...not so much. I think it might have been a bit over their heads, as I found myself having to explain what was happening. Still, though, it's a good book. I'd just recommend it for a slightly older audience.

[Lea Kielsholm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Udmærket historie om hvordan en lille skarabæ kan have en stor betydning for en farao. Meget fine illustrationer. Giver et fint lille indblik i gammel egyptisk kultur, men måske mest for børn, der interesserer sig for den slags i forvejen.
"Skarabæens hemmelighed" på dansk.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

It reminds me of the story about a king and the bee. This one has colorful, detailed illustrations paired with informative text. It had a good balance and I learned new things. I like how it points out the value of small things and the helpful historical background at the end.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this illustrator and her pictures tell the story so well. A simple but powerful tale.

[Yasmin · Rating 1 out of 5]

The illustrations are incredible but the story is very bland.

[Jbondandrews · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lovely illustrations but the story could have had more substance to it.

[Anna Mock · Rating 4 out of 5]

good story, good illustrations. Was a read-aloud for our ancient Egypt history unit. Good for elementary aged kids.

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This gentle tale tells of a preternaturally wise young prince and the mute unassuming beetle Khepri whose path crosses his not just once but twice—to their mutual advantages.

The simple story is accompanied by Ms. Balit’s vibrant and colorful drawings that are almost like hieroglyphics, filled with puzzling yet enticing plays with flattened perspective. When the young prince comes down a flight of steps into the catacombs that have been prepared for him, it almost seems as if he’s just stepped off the boat that is shown behind him…or is it merely a picture on the wall? Such artful juxtapositions highlight this story as it prepares us for the Khepri’s eventual transformation into the creature that carries the rising son into the morning sky.

This picture book is yet another special story that highlights myths and legends of ancient Egypt and may provide a wonderful surprise for young readers (or even older ones) who might not have heard about it previously.

[Stephanie Mixon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute story that tells the history of the scarab in Egypt. This was an easy to follow and interesting tale of how something so small can have such a big impact on a culture.

This is a great book for 1st or 2nd grade because of the easy to follow text. This could be used to show the importance of even the smallest creatures. this also shows the respect that some cultures have for different animals.

[The Brothers · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting book about a Pharaoh who comes across a scarab beetle and "befriends" it. Later in the story the Pharaoh is touring his tomb (I think) and is almost lead into a booby trap by the men showing him around. Why this would be the case is never really explained. Anyway, the beetle saves him. Hugs all around.

Beautiful illustrations.

[Teri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: Khepri, the scarab beetle, represented the rising sun in Ancient Egypt. It was his job to push the sun up into the sky each day. Great story that illstrates how a pharoah's tomb was his life work. We like this illustrator as well.

[M · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the Egyptian illustrations, but the story was a little abstract for my kiddos.

[Brent · Rating 3 out of 5]

Available at Carlos Museum Bookshop -
http://carlos.emory.edu/bookshop

[Mortira · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an absolutely beautiful book, filled with colorful illustrations that keep you expoloring every page. The story is excellent, and perfect for reading aloud.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

My kiddos thought this was super-duper awesome. We've read other Egyptian fairy tales and loved this one just as much.

[Robyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story, beautiful illustrations, but the writing itself left a lot to be desired. Perfect for early elementary students.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was great I love it! I told my teacher about it and he read it out to the class. Then we wrote a story about it! Highly recommend it for all children learning about Egypt like me!