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Julius Zebra #3
Julius Zebra: Entangled with the Egyptians!
The third title in Gary Northfield's exciting, action-packed and hysterically funny series brimming with entertaining Roman and Egyptian facts. After being shipwrecked on the shores of Egypt and mistaken for a Horse God, Julius can't believe his luck! Soon he and his bedraggled friends will be living it up in the city of Alexandria; preened and pampered like gods. Then a fancy boat procession will take them down the River Nile to Giza where, of course, a lavish party will be thrown in Julius's honour - as well as getting the obligatory tour of the Pyramids. BUT it is this very tour that seems to signal the end to their glorious fortunes in Egypt. On a visit to the Tomb of Cleopatra, Felix is unable to resist a rather lovely looking treasure for his rock collection... He pockets the jewel and immediately a curse falls upon the group. And so the ridiculous adventure begins where Julius fights for his life as the Egyptians come to unravel the truth and realize that he is not quite what they thought he was...
320 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 2018
27 people are currently reading
102 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
February 21, 2018
Book Reviewed by Stacey on www.whisperingstories.com
Julius Zebra: Entangled with the Egyptians!, is the third book in the Julius Zebra series, following on from Julius Zebra: Rumble with the Romans! #1 and Julius Zebra: Bundle with the Britons #2.
If you are not familiar with the series, the books are about a Zebra called Julius and his group of animal friends, including a Warthog, Crocodile, Antelope, lion, Mouse, etc. All of them have no social skill, and tend to find themselves in strange and often dangerous situations, set in historical times.
Just like with the first two books, this book is hilarious. It will have older children laughing out loud. The plot is often quite silly, but amongst the amusement there is a story that is not only fascinating and totally addictive, it also contains lots of factual information. The good thing about the way the factual information has been spread throughout the plot is that children won’t even realise that they are subconsciously taking the information in.
“You Royal Majesty may sit here under this silk canopy, if it pleases you.” “Ooh, very snug!” said Julius, plumping himself among the big cushions. “And your friends,” continued the captain, “can sit under the poop.” (Illustration – Brutus, Julius’s brother states he isn’t sitting under no poop) Cornelius pulled Brutus under the small golden canopy at the back. “It’s not THAT sort of poop, you fool!” he chided. “It’s just another word for the roof of a cabin!”
As well as the facts within the story, at the back there is a glossary and an educational section, such as, the hieroglyphics alphabet with which Gary has asked the children to write their name using the drawings.
To complement the story the book is filled with black and white illustrations too. Some are full page, others are dotted around the text, most have speech bubbles and are part of the story.
If you are looking for something that will keep a child engaged and interested in a book, then I highly recommend this whole series. Or, if like me you love slapstick humour and would love to read something that is going to make you giggle, then I also recommend you pick this book up too.
Julius Zebra: Entangled with the Egyptians!, is the third book in the Julius Zebra series, following on from Julius Zebra: Rumble with the Romans! #1 and Julius Zebra: Bundle with the Britons #2.
If you are not familiar with the series, the books are about a Zebra called Julius and his group of animal friends, including a Warthog, Crocodile, Antelope, lion, Mouse, etc. All of them have no social skill, and tend to find themselves in strange and often dangerous situations, set in historical times.
Just like with the first two books, this book is hilarious. It will have older children laughing out loud. The plot is often quite silly, but amongst the amusement there is a story that is not only fascinating and totally addictive, it also contains lots of factual information. The good thing about the way the factual information has been spread throughout the plot is that children won’t even realise that they are subconsciously taking the information in.
“You Royal Majesty may sit here under this silk canopy, if it pleases you.” “Ooh, very snug!” said Julius, plumping himself among the big cushions. “And your friends,” continued the captain, “can sit under the poop.” (Illustration – Brutus, Julius’s brother states he isn’t sitting under no poop) Cornelius pulled Brutus under the small golden canopy at the back. “It’s not THAT sort of poop, you fool!” he chided. “It’s just another word for the roof of a cabin!”
As well as the facts within the story, at the back there is a glossary and an educational section, such as, the hieroglyphics alphabet with which Gary has asked the children to write their name using the drawings.
To complement the story the book is filled with black and white illustrations too. Some are full page, others are dotted around the text, most have speech bubbles and are part of the story.
If you are looking for something that will keep a child engaged and interested in a book, then I highly recommend this whole series. Or, if like me you love slapstick humour and would love to read something that is going to make you giggle, then I also recommend you pick this book up too.
March 27, 2022
Julius Zebra (not Debra), sets off on a new adventure.
This time, by chance or fate, he and his fearless friends arrive in Egypt, the land of ancient civilization and the monuments of the majestic pharaohs… where, by mistake of course, he is believed to be the long-awaited god Heter, bringer of prosperity and therefore is about to be crowned as Pharaoh.
But...is that so?
Would Pharaoh say HYPERGLUESTICKS for hieroglyphics?
Or PAIR-OF-MITTS for pyramids?
Or perhaps LIBRA-HAIRY for library?
Would he say he was in the toilet if someone was looking for him?
That Cleopatra and Mark Antony's real names were CLEO CLAPTRAP and MARK ANCHOVY???
I don't think so!!
Another hilarious adventure!! Ancient curses, pi**ed off priests, mummies, Romans, dung beatles, secret passages and catacombs… you name it!!
I like Cornelius more and more. It's good to have an wiseacre around when you're in trouble.
And Felix. There are not enough rocks in this world 😁😁😁!!
Besides, a bunch of idiots running around dressed as mummies is bound to raise suspicion .
Trust me, they do. 😃😃😃
This time, by chance or fate, he and his fearless friends arrive in Egypt, the land of ancient civilization and the monuments of the majestic pharaohs… where, by mistake of course, he is believed to be the long-awaited god Heter, bringer of prosperity and therefore is about to be crowned as Pharaoh.
But...is that so?
Would Pharaoh say HYPERGLUESTICKS for hieroglyphics?
Or PAIR-OF-MITTS for pyramids?
Or perhaps LIBRA-HAIRY for library?
Would he say he was in the toilet if someone was looking for him?
That Cleopatra and Mark Antony's real names were CLEO CLAPTRAP and MARK ANCHOVY???
I don't think so!!
Another hilarious adventure!! Ancient curses, pi**ed off priests, mummies, Romans, dung beatles, secret passages and catacombs… you name it!!
I like Cornelius more and more. It's good to have an wiseacre around when you're in trouble.
And Felix. There are not enough rocks in this world 😁😁😁!!
Besides, a bunch of idiots running around dressed as mummies is bound to raise suspicion .
Trust me, they do. 😃😃😃
October 7, 2017
A hilarious, light-hearted and loosely educational addition to the Julius Zebra collection. This is book two in the series (you might remember the rumbling romans and bundled britons from the previous stories) but you absolutely don't need to have come across Julius before to enjoy the story - it perfectly stands alone.
Largely composed of text but accompanied by some brilliant illustrations, Julius and his friends (who you'll learn about too in this book and the last) have been shipwrecked in Egypt. Not ideal. Even less ideal is that Julius has been mistaken for a horse God. There are going to be a lot of disappointed Egyptians when they realise he's more stumbler than warrior!
It would be an understatement to say this book is just funny; it genuinely has the level of humour which cleverly appeals to children but has an adult undercurrent which gets you giggling too; actually the illustrations are sometimes even funnier than the text. The characters have all sorts of wacky things happening to them, often coming out of nowhere, which might sometimes seem a little silly (because they really are a bit too silly to be believable) but we're talking about fictional animal characters posing as horse gods here so you've already signed up for silly.
For me the nicest part about this book is how accessible it makes learning. You'll find towards the end of the book some explanations of all things Egypt from mummification to hieroglyphics and more. These are presented in such a way that the information doesn't feel intense or hard to take in, in fact I'd go so far as to say it makes learning about history fun. So whilst this is a silly book about a silly zebra, it also has some sensible quirks at the end.
Definitely not boring, a guaranteed silly adventure and some addictive characters you'll love so much you'll be committing them to your favourites shelf.
ARC provided free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Largely composed of text but accompanied by some brilliant illustrations, Julius and his friends (who you'll learn about too in this book and the last) have been shipwrecked in Egypt. Not ideal. Even less ideal is that Julius has been mistaken for a horse God. There are going to be a lot of disappointed Egyptians when they realise he's more stumbler than warrior!
It would be an understatement to say this book is just funny; it genuinely has the level of humour which cleverly appeals to children but has an adult undercurrent which gets you giggling too; actually the illustrations are sometimes even funnier than the text. The characters have all sorts of wacky things happening to them, often coming out of nowhere, which might sometimes seem a little silly (because they really are a bit too silly to be believable) but we're talking about fictional animal characters posing as horse gods here so you've already signed up for silly.
For me the nicest part about this book is how accessible it makes learning. You'll find towards the end of the book some explanations of all things Egypt from mummification to hieroglyphics and more. These are presented in such a way that the information doesn't feel intense or hard to take in, in fact I'd go so far as to say it makes learning about history fun. So whilst this is a silly book about a silly zebra, it also has some sensible quirks at the end.
Definitely not boring, a guaranteed silly adventure and some addictive characters you'll love so much you'll be committing them to your favourites shelf.
ARC provided free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
February 16, 2018
Julius Zebra is back with more funny antics, this time in Egypt!
I was so ridiculously happy when I spotted this book at one of my libraries! I was already hoping to read more Julius Zebra stories. And add to that the fact that this book is about/takes place in Egypt. One of my favourite countries/one of my favourite subjects in history.
Our ragtag band of animals is following the villain from the previous story when they get hit by a storm and strand in a new country... Egypt! I had a laugh that, while Julius was still not found/unconscious, they made bets on where they were (Africa/Egypt/Greece/etc.).
And then their adventures in Egypt start when a few guards find them. Julius being Julius, he does some silly things, and then, surprise, is seen as a god. A horse god (how they couldn't see he wasn't a horse is still weird, given that they worship Heter so much + again zebras and horses are quite different). Of course Julius is immediately proud and, those who read his previous adventure know this, immediately lets it get to his head.
They follow the guards to Alexandria to get Julius to be officially called a pharaoh (yep, and so he thinks he is a whole big deal even more).
Of course not everything is good and happy, not everyone likes Julius to be a god/pharaoh, plus the whole prophecy is not that kind to impostors (and guess what Julius is).
I just loved seeing Egypt, see them travel in all the way Egypt had to offer for transport. See the Sphinx, see the pyramids, tombs, treasures, and all the other things. Dang, I wish I could also come with them and see the sights.
Felix brings them into trouble more often than not, and especially brings them in very dangerous trouble when he steals THAT. Something one should just not steal, but we all know how Felix loves his stones (hint: Too much).
I wasn't a big fan of Milus, Pliny, and Brutus. I just didn't like their personalities. Milus and Pliny are just both very grumpy and should just try smiling and having fun for once. Brutus... well, he is just rude and mean. I would rather see these 3 disappear from the story (though I did get my wish (kinda) with Milus :P).
The ending (and what happened there) was quite exciting. I definitely didn't expect it to go so out of control. Wow! And then there is the mysterious dude at the ending, why does he need Julius. What are his plans? And does this mean we are going to Greece?
And from my review for the second book, but something that still very much applies to this one:
"The book is peppered with illustrations, making a bit of graphic novel. I loved how, just like another book I read, it switches between letting the story talk, or the illustrations. The art style, well it fits perfect with the random, hilarious, silly stuff that is happening."
Yep, this was a great book in this series. Hopefully one day I can read book 1, and I can't wait for book 4 to come out. I want to see what our ragtag band of animals is going to do there, what kind of chaos they will bring. :P
And of course I would recommend this book to everyone.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
I was so ridiculously happy when I spotted this book at one of my libraries! I was already hoping to read more Julius Zebra stories. And add to that the fact that this book is about/takes place in Egypt. One of my favourite countries/one of my favourite subjects in history.
Our ragtag band of animals is following the villain from the previous story when they get hit by a storm and strand in a new country... Egypt! I had a laugh that, while Julius was still not found/unconscious, they made bets on where they were (Africa/Egypt/Greece/etc.).
And then their adventures in Egypt start when a few guards find them. Julius being Julius, he does some silly things, and then, surprise, is seen as a god. A horse god (how they couldn't see he wasn't a horse is still weird, given that they worship Heter so much + again zebras and horses are quite different). Of course Julius is immediately proud and, those who read his previous adventure know this, immediately lets it get to his head.
They follow the guards to Alexandria to get Julius to be officially called a pharaoh (yep, and so he thinks he is a whole big deal even more).
Of course not everything is good and happy, not everyone likes Julius to be a god/pharaoh, plus the whole prophecy is not that kind to impostors (and guess what Julius is).
I just loved seeing Egypt, see them travel in all the way Egypt had to offer for transport. See the Sphinx, see the pyramids, tombs, treasures, and all the other things. Dang, I wish I could also come with them and see the sights.
Felix brings them into trouble more often than not, and especially brings them in very dangerous trouble when he steals THAT. Something one should just not steal, but we all know how Felix loves his stones (hint: Too much).
I wasn't a big fan of Milus, Pliny, and Brutus. I just didn't like their personalities. Milus and Pliny are just both very grumpy and should just try smiling and having fun for once. Brutus... well, he is just rude and mean. I would rather see these 3 disappear from the story (though I did get my wish (kinda) with Milus :P).
The ending (and what happened there) was quite exciting. I definitely didn't expect it to go so out of control. Wow! And then there is the mysterious dude at the ending, why does he need Julius. What are his plans? And does this mean we are going to Greece?
And from my review for the second book, but something that still very much applies to this one:
"The book is peppered with illustrations, making a bit of graphic novel. I loved how, just like another book I read, it switches between letting the story talk, or the illustrations. The art style, well it fits perfect with the random, hilarious, silly stuff that is happening."
Yep, this was a great book in this series. Hopefully one day I can read book 1, and I can't wait for book 4 to come out. I want to see what our ragtag band of animals is going to do there, what kind of chaos they will bring. :P
And of course I would recommend this book to everyone.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
May 30, 2021
Featured in a grandma reads chapter book sessions.
This is our third journey with Julius Zebra, and was just as enjoyed as the others, only now we were in Egypt. Pyramids, the great Lighthouse, and the ancient culture of Egypt greeted Julius and his team. Pages still numbered the Roman way, and discussions at the end of the book of aspects of life in Egypt. We even were helped determine what our names would look like in hieroglyphics!
Enjoyed as a chapter book over time - they looked forward to it. There are word bubbles in this graphic format, and it was fun when one of the listeners took over the job of performing those for any given reading session. Looks like there is one more book in this series. . . .
This is our third journey with Julius Zebra, and was just as enjoyed as the others, only now we were in Egypt. Pyramids, the great Lighthouse, and the ancient culture of Egypt greeted Julius and his team. Pages still numbered the Roman way, and discussions at the end of the book of aspects of life in Egypt. We even were helped determine what our names would look like in hieroglyphics!
Enjoyed as a chapter book over time - they looked forward to it. There are word bubbles in this graphic format, and it was fun when one of the listeners took over the job of performing those for any given reading session. Looks like there is one more book in this series. . . .
February 1, 2019
Julius Zebra was a fun and silly, quick read about a zebra that gets shipwrecked on the shores of Egypt and is mistaken for a horse god. At first Julius and his friends think it’s not so bad getting the royal treatment, until his cover gets blown.
This is historical story reminded me of the movie The Road to Eldorado. It still totally worked for me as that’s one of my favorite animated movies.
I believe this is the fourth book in the Julius Zebra series. It reads just fine though alone as this is the first in the series I have read. The fun and silliness of this story would make it a fun read for a middle grader.
Thank you to Candlewick and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This will appear on my blog Saturday, February 2, 2019.
www.colecampfireblog.com
LanaLCole@yahoo.com
This is historical story reminded me of the movie The Road to Eldorado. It still totally worked for me as that’s one of my favorite animated movies.
I believe this is the fourth book in the Julius Zebra series. It reads just fine though alone as this is the first in the series I have read. The fun and silliness of this story would make it a fun read for a middle grader.
Thank you to Candlewick and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This will appear on my blog Saturday, February 2, 2019.
www.colecampfireblog.com
LanaLCole@yahoo.com
May 6, 2019
„Julius Zebra – Entangled with the Egyptians“ is the 3rd part of a youth novel series. Gary Northfield‘s series about the crazy donkey Julius and his friends are a mixture of comics and text and the illustrations are part of the story, you should read them along with the text story. I highly appreciate Gary‘s special style and the crazy mixture of historical facts and silly fiction.
This story is a wild rollercoaster ride between „everything‘s fine“ and „oh oh what the heck they are doing now…“. You‘ll have lots of fun accompaning Julius and his friends on their eventful roadtrip through the ancient Egypt.
I‘ve read the english original and only a few words needed to be looked up from me as a non-native speaker. It was easy to follow the story and I had lots of fun reading it.
PS: You can find the complete review on our blog (https://deborahsbuecherhimmel.de/gary...).
This story is a wild rollercoaster ride between „everything‘s fine“ and „oh oh what the heck they are doing now…“. You‘ll have lots of fun accompaning Julius and his friends on their eventful roadtrip through the ancient Egypt.
I‘ve read the english original and only a few words needed to be looked up from me as a non-native speaker. It was easy to follow the story and I had lots of fun reading it.
PS: You can find the complete review on our blog (https://deborahsbuecherhimmel.de/gary...).
January 1, 2022
GEWELDIG! Hou je van een beetje spanning? Grapjes? En een beetje geschiedenis, en tellen in romeinse cijfers? Dan is dit ECHT jouw volgende boek!
February 3, 2018
This is such a funny book and perfect to bring a smile to anyone’s face. ‘Julius Zebra: Entangled with the Egyptians’ is the third book in the Julius Zebra series, the previous books being ‘Rumble with the Romans’ and ‘Bundle with the Britons’. You don’t need to have read any Julius Zebra books before reading this one as it’s a complete story in itself, (and I never read the first book before trying out the second one a few months ago) but it is extra fun to know where all the characters come from and what they’ve been through.
The hardcover book has shiny gold on the cover and inside the whole story is written in easy to read text along with funny illustrations on every page. After his last adventure in Britannia Julius and his friends find themselves shipwrecked on a beach. Before they know it the Egyptian army finds them and somehow Julius gets mistaken for a horse god! I don’t want to explain more of the plot as it’s just too funny and it would spoil it for me to go into detail, but will say that this book is hilarious and has a very daft and silly plot. When I read the previous book I couldn’t help but laugh out loud at all the silly things that happen to the characters and the way they react and I wasn’t disappointed with ‘Entangled with the Egyptians’ as there’s more of that brilliant humour!
The story is just really silly with every moment being a chance for something funny to happen, and what makes it even more funny is the pictures. Rather than the odd illustration in the book which you’d look at after reading the text, there are pictures on every page and they are part of the story. You have to see what’s happening in the pictures and read the characters speech bubbles before reading the next part of the text. I love this style of illustrations and the images themselves are just really funny. Every small picture or large one spread on a double page is funny. It’s hard to describe but somehow the way the characters are drawn (and those eyes!) makes the plot all the more funny and just looking at the cover makes me laugh.
The story throughout is hilarious, there’s never a dull moment and although it’s predictably going to be very silly, I still didn’t know what was going to happen, especially at the end. I like the ending it’s fun and made the book feel like the last in the series but there’s an epilogue that shows that the story is far from over for Julius and his animal friends, which I’m so happy about as I really can’t get enough of Julius and his friends.
After the main story is finished there are a few pages of extras. There’s a quick explanation of how to read roman numerals, as all the page numbers are written in roman numerals. There is also information on how to write in hieroglyphics, a funny explanation of mummification along with some great pictures, and a glossary, explaining some of the real life things that exist in the book. A glossary was also in the previous book which I found fascinating and I especially liked this book’s addition as I’ve always loved learning about Ancient Egypt and I didn’t realise where ‘Heter’ comes from.
This whole book is so funny and silly and it really put a smile on my face. Although aimed at kids this book will make any adult laugh too. I think the sense of humour in this book is just perfect for me, and how funny someone finds the book might depend on their own type of humour, but I’d really recommend this book to anyone to try, especially if you enjoy really daft/silly stories. I can’t wait for a future instalment of the series and I could see this series going on for a long time, as long as there are ancient places for Julius to visit. A really great book and the fact that the line ‘We’re going on our holibobs!’ is used again just cracked me up (no idea why but it does!)
-Thanks to Walker Books for a free copy.
The hardcover book has shiny gold on the cover and inside the whole story is written in easy to read text along with funny illustrations on every page. After his last adventure in Britannia Julius and his friends find themselves shipwrecked on a beach. Before they know it the Egyptian army finds them and somehow Julius gets mistaken for a horse god! I don’t want to explain more of the plot as it’s just too funny and it would spoil it for me to go into detail, but will say that this book is hilarious and has a very daft and silly plot. When I read the previous book I couldn’t help but laugh out loud at all the silly things that happen to the characters and the way they react and I wasn’t disappointed with ‘Entangled with the Egyptians’ as there’s more of that brilliant humour!
The story is just really silly with every moment being a chance for something funny to happen, and what makes it even more funny is the pictures. Rather than the odd illustration in the book which you’d look at after reading the text, there are pictures on every page and they are part of the story. You have to see what’s happening in the pictures and read the characters speech bubbles before reading the next part of the text. I love this style of illustrations and the images themselves are just really funny. Every small picture or large one spread on a double page is funny. It’s hard to describe but somehow the way the characters are drawn (and those eyes!) makes the plot all the more funny and just looking at the cover makes me laugh.
The story throughout is hilarious, there’s never a dull moment and although it’s predictably going to be very silly, I still didn’t know what was going to happen, especially at the end. I like the ending it’s fun and made the book feel like the last in the series but there’s an epilogue that shows that the story is far from over for Julius and his animal friends, which I’m so happy about as I really can’t get enough of Julius and his friends.
After the main story is finished there are a few pages of extras. There’s a quick explanation of how to read roman numerals, as all the page numbers are written in roman numerals. There is also information on how to write in hieroglyphics, a funny explanation of mummification along with some great pictures, and a glossary, explaining some of the real life things that exist in the book. A glossary was also in the previous book which I found fascinating and I especially liked this book’s addition as I’ve always loved learning about Ancient Egypt and I didn’t realise where ‘Heter’ comes from.
This whole book is so funny and silly and it really put a smile on my face. Although aimed at kids this book will make any adult laugh too. I think the sense of humour in this book is just perfect for me, and how funny someone finds the book might depend on their own type of humour, but I’d really recommend this book to anyone to try, especially if you enjoy really daft/silly stories. I can’t wait for a future instalment of the series and I could see this series going on for a long time, as long as there are ancient places for Julius to visit. A really great book and the fact that the line ‘We’re going on our holibobs!’ is used again just cracked me up (no idea why but it does!)
-Thanks to Walker Books for a free copy.
December 27, 2018
Julius Zebra: Entangled with the Egyptians is the third book (I think) in the Julius Zebra series. I should point out that it is not required to read the first two books to immediately get sucked into the hijinks of Julius, Cornelius, Milus, Pliny, Brutus, Felix, Rufus, and Lucia. In this tale, the gang end up shipwrecked in Egypt where Julius is mistaken for a God. Events take them to the library at Alexandria, the Tomb of Cleopatra, the chariot races, and finally back home...or so they thought. Extra material include a lesson on Roman Numerals, hieroglyphics, and mummification. I love the characters and the layout of the book reminds me of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. Overall a very entertaining and educating series.
Thank you NetGalley and Candlewick Press for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy.
Thank you NetGalley and Candlewick Press for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy.
October 21, 2017
Zany comic-style historical animal nonsense - brilliant fun
I read the first in the series a week or two ago ahead of trying this, and could have read this by itself, though it does make more sense to have some knowledge of the characters and story.
Julius is a zebra who has become champion gladiator of Rome after being kidnapped from his African homeland. Now travelling by ship, he and his friends end up in Egypt, and wouldn't you know, he gets mistaken for a Horse God. As you do.
It's all madcap misadventures, lots of snarky jokes and silliness, very suitable and geared towards Key Stage 2 readers, lots of lovely short chapters and chock-full of black and white comic-style illustrations, with speech bubbles integral to the text and story. A very speedy read.
This will keep the interest of reluctant readers, a great choice for school libraries and for readers aged 9-12.
With thanks to Walker Books for the sample reading copy.
I read the first in the series a week or two ago ahead of trying this, and could have read this by itself, though it does make more sense to have some knowledge of the characters and story.
Julius is a zebra who has become champion gladiator of Rome after being kidnapped from his African homeland. Now travelling by ship, he and his friends end up in Egypt, and wouldn't you know, he gets mistaken for a Horse God. As you do.
It's all madcap misadventures, lots of snarky jokes and silliness, very suitable and geared towards Key Stage 2 readers, lots of lovely short chapters and chock-full of black and white comic-style illustrations, with speech bubbles integral to the text and story. A very speedy read.
This will keep the interest of reluctant readers, a great choice for school libraries and for readers aged 9-12.
With thanks to Walker Books for the sample reading copy.
January 8, 2019
Ik vind geschiedenis leuk en vind daarom de serie over Julius Zebra extra leuk. Ik lees het graag.
September 29, 2024
Memory updated
Here’s your updated review:
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)
Julius Zebra: Entangled with the Egyptians is hands down my favorite part of the series! The humor in this one is spot-on, making me laugh out loud more than once. Julius and his friends’ adventures in ancient Egypt bring fresh, creative opportunities for comedy, and the jokes feel sharper and more fun than ever. The mix of slapstick and historical humor is perfect, and the Egyptian setting adds a unique twist that keeps everything exciting.
The illustrations really elevate the humor, with dynamic, expressive characters that bring the funny moments to life. Julius's bumbling yet lovable personality shines brightest in this installment, and the antics of the gang are endlessly entertaining.
If you’re a fan of the series, this is a must-read! The blend of history and humor is perfect, and it’s easily the most enjoyable of the four books for me.
Lasha
December 20, 2018
When Julius and his gang of animal friends flee the Roman Empire and end up in ancient Egypt, wacky hijinks naturally ensue. The Egyptians mistake Julius for the horse god Heter and crown him pharaoh. Other misadventures involve a cursed jewel stolen from a tomb, an army of crocodiles, and a slimy seaweed wig.
Honestly, I had some trouble getting through this middle-grade book. It was a little too long and had a lot of unnecessary parts and dialogue. I'm not sure it would hold a kids' attention, since it didn't really keep mine. And while there was a lot of silliness, it was silly without being really funny. But kids might still like that, and they will no doubt like the expressive illustrations.
Thank you to Candlewick Press and LibraryThing for the advanced copy of this book!*
*This did not affect my review or rating.
Honestly, I had some trouble getting through this middle-grade book. It was a little too long and had a lot of unnecessary parts and dialogue. I'm not sure it would hold a kids' attention, since it didn't really keep mine. And while there was a lot of silliness, it was silly without being really funny. But kids might still like that, and they will no doubt like the expressive illustrations.
Thank you to Candlewick Press and LibraryThing for the advanced copy of this book!*
*This did not affect my review or rating.
June 9, 2019
This is a silly, crazy, hilarious adventure in which a group of animal friends from the African Savanna find themselves in Ancient Egypt. Julius Zebra finds himself declared a god, the horse god, Heter, to be exact. The group is escorted to Alexandria for the official ceremony. A high priest, Seti, has his suspicions, though. The group finds themselves in one precarious situation after another. In the meantime bits of history are incorporated into the story line. To add to the setting, the pages are numbered using Roman numerals. Roman numerals, mummification and a very helpful glossary add to the usefulness of the story. Though #3 in the series this title stands on its own fairly well.
September 30, 2019
It is hard to write a review of this book with a straight face, so I won't even try. When Julius Zebra and his crew are shipwrecked in Egypt, they are happy to have made it back to Africa. And then, when Julius inadvertently answers some prayers of the Egyptians, he is honored as Heter, the Horse God. Although it's clear that the leaders are not going to be happy with Julius when it's revealed that he isn't a horse, he goes along with the ruse. Who wouldn't want the accolades that come with being the head horse of Egypt? All kinds of hilarious situations pop up and the graphics illustrating them on every page just add to the comedy. I want to take this book to school and put it into the hands of kids ASAP! This is part of a series.
March 17, 2024
Reading "Julius Zebra: Entangled with the Egyptians!" showed you how exciting new adventures can be, just like Julius's journey. It teaches us to be brave and try new things, even if they seem scary.
Let's remember to be brave like Julius when you try something new, whether it's at school or making friends.
Love,
Mom and Dad
Let's remember to be brave like Julius when you try something new, whether it's at school or making friends.
Love,
Mom and Dad
January 21, 2019
This is the third book in Gary Northfield's series and I found it silly and hilarious. The kind of book kids love. The best part is that they are also getting a number of historical facts through out the book.
December 30, 2017
a Mum and Ellie read.
an interesting little story. Kept her attention.
an interesting little story. Kept her attention.
March 11, 2019
(DNF - Ch.3)
The e-ARC came lacking the illustrations which I am sure would have improved the narrative.
The e-ARC came lacking the illustrations which I am sure would have improved the narrative.
September 1, 2020
by this book i liket the history of the book and the funny stuff around it, allround a verry nice book
January 5, 2022
Een hilarisch boek .
November 16, 2023
Ik was natuurlijk al om vanwege de gouden opdruk op de kaft...🩷🦓
August 29, 2024
It was funny, i loved it that the pictures are a part of the narrative. And despite that i'm not the targeted audience, i still enjoyed reading this book
April 20, 2025
Taalgebruik is naar mijn smaak te grof, maar voor iemand van 10 is het vast erg vermakelijk.
October 8, 2025
Leuk boek over Julius in Egypte. Aanrader!
April 3, 2019
Such a cute and weird book. Julius Zebra Entangled with the Egyptians is the third book in the Julius series. Up to this point Julius has Rumbled with the Romans in book one, got into a Bundle with the Britons, and now he is moving on to the Egyptians.
I have not read the first two books in this series but after having read this one, I would love to pick them up and read them. In this book, Julius is on his way home and finds himself proclaimed the Pharaoh of Egypt. He ans his friends are aware that he is not a Pharaoh, nor even Pharaoh material but they play along until they realize that they could be put to death for pretending.
From this one book I have learned that each of Julius' friends has quirks, there is a mean one and a clumsy one and that they always as a group get themselves into big trouble. It is hilarious to read through and see in the illustrations that are included on every page.
It is a history and vocabulary lesson disguised as a humorous book for younger readers and I think that they will find it educational but mostly they will find it funny. Between the plot and the wonderful illustrations this book will be a hit with middle grade readers, and even reading it without the other two books works fine.
So if you, or your middle grade reader is looking for a new series, this could be a fun one to read together and learn some things about Egypt and see if Julius and his friends make it out alive.
I have not read the first two books in this series but after having read this one, I would love to pick them up and read them. In this book, Julius is on his way home and finds himself proclaimed the Pharaoh of Egypt. He ans his friends are aware that he is not a Pharaoh, nor even Pharaoh material but they play along until they realize that they could be put to death for pretending.
From this one book I have learned that each of Julius' friends has quirks, there is a mean one and a clumsy one and that they always as a group get themselves into big trouble. It is hilarious to read through and see in the illustrations that are included on every page.
It is a history and vocabulary lesson disguised as a humorous book for younger readers and I think that they will find it educational but mostly they will find it funny. Between the plot and the wonderful illustrations this book will be a hit with middle grade readers, and even reading it without the other two books works fine.
So if you, or your middle grade reader is looking for a new series, this could be a fun one to read together and learn some things about Egypt and see if Julius and his friends make it out alive.
January 31, 2020
It’s a bit like Wimpy Kid on holiday in ancient Egypt as a sentient zebra but with a much larger cast of characters and a bit of history thrown into the plot. Overall, I doubt tweens will find the storyline engaging and younger kids, who probably would like the story, might get confused by all the the names to remember and a storyline that runs on a bit too long.
The story revolves around Julius, a zebra whose enemy Septimus plays the foil in the plot, travels with his Roman-named companions Cornelius, Brutus (Julius's brother), etc., on a storm-tossed ship. They land in Egypt and the author interweaves highjinks and ancient history. The glossary and facts at the end will help lost readers. Recommend for higher level younger readers, not tweens. Thank you to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for reviewing the book.
The story revolves around Julius, a zebra whose enemy Septimus plays the foil in the plot, travels with his Roman-named companions Cornelius, Brutus (Julius's brother), etc., on a storm-tossed ship. They land in Egypt and the author interweaves highjinks and ancient history. The glossary and facts at the end will help lost readers. Recommend for higher level younger readers, not tweens. Thank you to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for reviewing the book.
August 20, 2019
After reading the preceding two books, I immediately picked up this one, hoping that more of Julius and his friends' adventures would be great. And sure enough, it was! The humor was well-thought out (I thought that the "Apoopi" joke was my favorite in not this book, but the series), the chariot race was cool, the fight scene at the end was action-packed, the part where Julius's mother throws the chains off of her and onto Hadrian when he went in the water was a moment of awesome, it was nice seeing Julius and his family and friends come back home, and I thought that the mummification tutorial at the end with Milus, Cornelius, and Felix was funny. Next stop, we're going to Greece as I hope to get Julius Zebra: Grapple with the Greeks!!
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