What do you think?
Rate this book
Ancient Myths
Egyptian Myths: Meet the Gods, Goddesses, and Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt
Delve into a world of strange creatures, magical powers, and warring gods in this thrilling compendium of ancient Egyptian myths. With 20 exciting tales alongside fascinating historical information, this is a must-have introduction for young readers interested in one of the world's great early civilizations.
From the creation of the world, to the pharaohs worshipped as gods, this book charts the full sweep of ancient Egyptian mythology, revealing fascinating elements of culture and religion along the way. The enthralling stories introduce mighty gods and wicked villains, while a handy reference section is packed with information about the ancient Egyptians themselves. Learn how Ra fought daily battles to make the Sun rise, how trouble-making Set brought chaos to the kingdom, and how Osiris became the first mummy.
From the creation of the world, to the pharaohs worshipped as gods, this book charts the full sweep of ancient Egyptian mythology, revealing fascinating elements of culture and religion along the way. The enthralling stories introduce mighty gods and wicked villains, while a handy reference section is packed with information about the ancient Egyptians themselves. Learn how Ra fought daily battles to make the Sun rise, how trouble-making Set brought chaos to the kingdom, and how Osiris became the first mummy.
144 pages, Hardcover
First published August 4, 2022
21 people are currently reading
609 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
August 5, 2022
My second read of the month was the fabulous new children’s book that Jean has released, this time on Egyptian Myths!
Fun, fascinating and beautifully illustrated by Katie Ponder, it does a brilliant job of telling you all about the Egyptian gods and goddesses and I had a wonderful time reading it.
Highly recommended!
Fun, fascinating and beautifully illustrated by Katie Ponder, it does a brilliant job of telling you all about the Egyptian gods and goddesses and I had a wonderful time reading it.
Highly recommended!
June 15, 2023
I den här boken är det Egyptens gudar, gudinnor, faraoner och dödliga som är i fokus. Genom en lagom blandning av faktasidor och berättelser får vi lära oss mer om den egyptiska mytologin. Ett plus i kanten är uttalsguiden i slutet av boken, jag går ofta dit för att kolla hur vissa ord och namn ska uttalas.
Jag gillar även den här boken av Menzies, hon är väldigt duktig på att förmedla mytologi på ett lättfattligt och intressant sätt. Illustrationerna är också väldigt fina och lyfter boken.
Jag gillar även den här boken av Menzies, hon är väldigt duktig på att förmedla mytologi på ett lättfattligt och intressant sätt. Illustrationerna är också väldigt fina och lyfter boken.
October 6, 2022
Absolutely stunning illustrations and a nice summary of some of the Egyptian myths and religiousity. I also liked how several of the gods and goddesses mentioned has profiles in the book to help identify their symbolisms and roles.
September 21, 2023
Art: The art is beautiful and is consistent throughout. I would buy this just for the art.
However, I have to remove a star due to the fact that there wasn't a whole lot of research done, and you could tell by the writer saying that there were many children by a certain God.
This is a good book for children wanting to learn about Egyptian Myths, but only as a beginning as the myths themselves are lost in the information, the stories not really stories.
All in all, it's a cute book with great images.
It wouldn't be much without the art, though.
I was saddened at how little I learned.
However, I have to remove a star due to the fact that there wasn't a whole lot of research done, and you could tell by the writer saying that there were many children by a certain God.
This is a good book for children wanting to learn about Egyptian Myths, but only as a beginning as the myths themselves are lost in the information, the stories not really stories.
All in all, it's a cute book with great images.
It wouldn't be much without the art, though.
I was saddened at how little I learned.
March 12, 2023
More accurate rating: 8.5/10.
Just like the preceding tome on Greek Myths, this was a very enjoyable read. It is still very much meant for younger readers, but that's fine. The illustrations were lovely and I actually discovered myths – not directly involving deities – that I'd never come across before when reading about Egyptian or world mythology, so that was really cool! 😄
Just like the preceding tome on Greek Myths, this was a very enjoyable read. It is still very much meant for younger readers, but that's fine. The illustrations were lovely and I actually discovered myths – not directly involving deities – that I'd never come across before when reading about Egyptian or world mythology, so that was really cool! 😄
Read
October 26, 2025the fact that this is a children’s book with beautiful illustrations made it a nice read for my work-flambéed brain. but also the assiduous avoidance of discussing slavery in ancient egypt raised an eyebrow
main takeaway for me was that yugioh’s discussion of egyptian mythology was actually extremely accurate LMAO
main takeaway for me was that yugioh’s discussion of egyptian mythology was actually extremely accurate LMAO
December 28, 2023
Z tejto som sa naučila asi najviac v porovnaní s ostatnými dvoma. A možno sa mi preto aj najviac páčila. Pekné farebné ilustrácie, jednoduché vysvetlenia, pekné príbehy. Egyptská mytológia znie oveľa milšie ako tie ostatné - teda tie príbehy často končili dobre alebo s nejakým dobrým posolstvom.
Ak ste ešte nenačali túto sériu, tak si ju dajte! Veľmi jednoduchý a pekný úvod do mytológií.
Ak ste ešte nenačali túto sériu, tak si ju dajte! Veľmi jednoduchý a pekný úvod do mytológií.
July 3, 2024
4 stars. Listened to this all in one go on a long drive with my kids. We were all into it and the stories flowed nicely.
December 19, 2025
Amazing book! I loved learning about Egyptian gods and goddesses! I love the illustrations!
June 2, 2023
Where were pharaohs? Their descriptions missed. Of course it wasn't bad, but it was too short to contain enough information and mythology story.
November 4, 2022
Diese Rezension bezieht sich auf die deutsche Edition des Buchs, die weitestgehend deckungsgleich zur englischen Ausgabe ist.
So ein paar Dinge über das alte Ägypten laufen einem hin und wieder über den Weg. Hier mal eine Mumie, dort der Name einer Gottheit. Die vollständigen Zusammenhänge bleiben hingegen oftmals verborgen. Einen konkreteren Blick auf die „Ägyptischen Mythen“ wirft dieses Buch.
Das Erstaunliche dabei, dass das alte Ägypten irgendwann ab 3.500 v.Chr. begann und damit viele Mythen über 5.000 Jahre alt sind. Dennoch ist vieles bis in die heutige Zeit überliefert worden, obgleich auch in diesem Buch so mancher Mythos nicht vollkommen entschlüsselt werden konnte. Ganz zum Schluss wird erklärt, woher das heutige Wissen stammt und wie die Mythen bis in die heutige Zeit überdauern konnten.
Das Buch beginnt mit der Schöpfungsgeschichte, die an sich schon recht sonderbar ist. Und vielleicht gerade deshalb für Kinder so spannend. Dann wird ein Blick auf die Gottheiten geworfen, von denen es reichlich gab. Viele Gottheiten sind dabei vielleicht bekannt, andere weniger. So oder so skizziert das Buch die Zusammenhänge in seinem Ganzen, denn die Gottheiten sind auf die ein oder andere Art miteinander verwandt.
Die Texte sind kurz und knapp gehalten, geben aber das Wesentliche wieder. Dabei wurde darauf geachtet, dass alle Texte kindgerecht formuliert wurden. Die Mythen sind gut gegliedert, wichtige Texte und Passagen besonders hervorgehoben, so dass selbstlesende Kinder sich recht gut in diesem Buch zurechtfinden werden. Das Gleiche gilt für die Zeichnungen, die die Texte entsprechend unterstreichen. Das Besondere dabei, dass die Künstler sich an den ägyptischen Hieroglyphen und Zeichnungen orientiert haben und das Buch durch diesen Zeichenstil eine „ägyptische Optik“ erhalten, die ich sehr passend und ansprechend fand.
Fazit
Das Buch eignet sich wunderbar, um Kindern die Welt des alten Ägypten näherzubringen. Der Fokus liegt schon auf der Mythologie, aber diese ist eng mit dem Leben der Menschen verbunden gewesen. Auch ist es für kindliches Lesen geeignet, bei dem Kinder zuerst das Buch durchblättern und stöbern und erst später die Texte lesen. Nur selten bauen die einzelnen Geschichten aufeinander auf. Alles in allem ein gelungenes Buch, das von uns eine Empfehlung erhält.
So ein paar Dinge über das alte Ägypten laufen einem hin und wieder über den Weg. Hier mal eine Mumie, dort der Name einer Gottheit. Die vollständigen Zusammenhänge bleiben hingegen oftmals verborgen. Einen konkreteren Blick auf die „Ägyptischen Mythen“ wirft dieses Buch.
Das Erstaunliche dabei, dass das alte Ägypten irgendwann ab 3.500 v.Chr. begann und damit viele Mythen über 5.000 Jahre alt sind. Dennoch ist vieles bis in die heutige Zeit überliefert worden, obgleich auch in diesem Buch so mancher Mythos nicht vollkommen entschlüsselt werden konnte. Ganz zum Schluss wird erklärt, woher das heutige Wissen stammt und wie die Mythen bis in die heutige Zeit überdauern konnten.
Das Buch beginnt mit der Schöpfungsgeschichte, die an sich schon recht sonderbar ist. Und vielleicht gerade deshalb für Kinder so spannend. Dann wird ein Blick auf die Gottheiten geworfen, von denen es reichlich gab. Viele Gottheiten sind dabei vielleicht bekannt, andere weniger. So oder so skizziert das Buch die Zusammenhänge in seinem Ganzen, denn die Gottheiten sind auf die ein oder andere Art miteinander verwandt.
Die Texte sind kurz und knapp gehalten, geben aber das Wesentliche wieder. Dabei wurde darauf geachtet, dass alle Texte kindgerecht formuliert wurden. Die Mythen sind gut gegliedert, wichtige Texte und Passagen besonders hervorgehoben, so dass selbstlesende Kinder sich recht gut in diesem Buch zurechtfinden werden. Das Gleiche gilt für die Zeichnungen, die die Texte entsprechend unterstreichen. Das Besondere dabei, dass die Künstler sich an den ägyptischen Hieroglyphen und Zeichnungen orientiert haben und das Buch durch diesen Zeichenstil eine „ägyptische Optik“ erhalten, die ich sehr passend und ansprechend fand.
Fazit
Das Buch eignet sich wunderbar, um Kindern die Welt des alten Ägypten näherzubringen. Der Fokus liegt schon auf der Mythologie, aber diese ist eng mit dem Leben der Menschen verbunden gewesen. Auch ist es für kindliches Lesen geeignet, bei dem Kinder zuerst das Buch durchblättern und stöbern und erst später die Texte lesen. Nur selten bauen die einzelnen Geschichten aufeinander auf. Alles in allem ein gelungenes Buch, das von uns eine Empfehlung erhält.
August 10, 2022
(A rambling review of my thoughts after finishing the book!)
Another beautiful treasure trove of fascinating information this time focusing on Egyptian Myths. I loved the recent Greek Myths DK book so this was a preorder from the moment I discovered it was coming out - and I wasn’t disappointed. Although I didn’t quite love it as much as the Greek Myths one (a personal preference - I find Greek mythology more interesting overall) I was still utterly intrigued by the tales told about the gods and goddesses of Egypt and its many pharaohs. Now I was obsessed with Ancient Egypt as a youngster, especially Cleopatra, so this was a very accessible book that filled me in on the mythology of Egypt and its fierce, back stabbing and ambitious gods and goddesses (Isis is one of my favourites I must admit!). Again, this is a book aimed at children but even as a 30 year old I was sucked in by the information and tales presented. The writing is accessible but not dumbed down in anyway; it is filled with rich descriptions and detailed information on this enchanting mythology. The glossary and pronunciation guide was very much appreciated also!
The artwork again is just pure *chefs kiss*. Detailed, vibrant and beautifully presented, it perfectly accentuated the rich information provided. I particularly enjoyed the pages focusing on each individual god and goddess and the illustrations just bring it all to life.
Overall, Egyptian Myths is a great addition to my bookcase and one that I would add to the bookcases of younger readers to consume and enjoy. I definitely would have devoured this as a youngster!
Another beautiful treasure trove of fascinating information this time focusing on Egyptian Myths. I loved the recent Greek Myths DK book so this was a preorder from the moment I discovered it was coming out - and I wasn’t disappointed. Although I didn’t quite love it as much as the Greek Myths one (a personal preference - I find Greek mythology more interesting overall) I was still utterly intrigued by the tales told about the gods and goddesses of Egypt and its many pharaohs. Now I was obsessed with Ancient Egypt as a youngster, especially Cleopatra, so this was a very accessible book that filled me in on the mythology of Egypt and its fierce, back stabbing and ambitious gods and goddesses (Isis is one of my favourites I must admit!). Again, this is a book aimed at children but even as a 30 year old I was sucked in by the information and tales presented. The writing is accessible but not dumbed down in anyway; it is filled with rich descriptions and detailed information on this enchanting mythology. The glossary and pronunciation guide was very much appreciated also!
The artwork again is just pure *chefs kiss*. Detailed, vibrant and beautifully presented, it perfectly accentuated the rich information provided. I particularly enjoyed the pages focusing on each individual god and goddess and the illustrations just bring it all to life.
Overall, Egyptian Myths is a great addition to my bookcase and one that I would add to the bookcases of younger readers to consume and enjoy. I definitely would have devoured this as a youngster!
June 8, 2024
This is another book I took out of the library for its illustrations--of course I'm also interested in Egyptian art and its related mythology, which is so integral to it. The clarity of both Ponder's illustrations and Menzies' text are well-suited to children but also contain enough complexity and subtlety to appeal to adults.
I liked the way the stories were interspersed with more detailed explanations of the roles each god and goddess played within the narrative of the beliefs of ancient Egyptians. As always, there are many parallels with the stories that are the foundations of religions all over the world. Our questions, the structure humans give to what seems mysterious about life, and the symbolic way we explain the unexplainable, even as the particular symbols reflect the local environment, seem in many ways universal.
And of course the way the gods and goddesses behave is completely understandable because it is so human.
I liked the way the stories were interspersed with more detailed explanations of the roles each god and goddess played within the narrative of the beliefs of ancient Egyptians. As always, there are many parallels with the stories that are the foundations of religions all over the world. Our questions, the structure humans give to what seems mysterious about life, and the symbolic way we explain the unexplainable, even as the particular symbols reflect the local environment, seem in many ways universal.
And of course the way the gods and goddesses behave is completely understandable because it is so human.
January 14, 2024
Tieto prekrásne špeciálne edície mýtov lákajú hádam každého knihomoľa a môžem povedať, že ponúkajú kvalitu na trhu nie len materiálom použitým na výrobu a ilustráciami, ale aj literárnym obsahom.
Veľa obrázkov a mýty písané pre lajkov si proste zamilujete. Celé dielo je písané veľmi prehľadne, takže sa nestratíte ani v kope mien.
Mne osobne sa páčil príbeh o tom, ako vznikla prvá múmia a postava Anupa - boha často zobrazovaného ako šakala alebo boha s hlavou šakala.
Opäť sme tu mali veľa (ale nie až toľko) incestu ako v Gréckych mýtoch - bez tejto skutočnnosti sa zrejme žiadna mytológia nezaobíde. 🤭
Chcete sa viac dozvedieť o Egyptskej mytológii?
Šup do košíku s touto ilustrovanou kráskou.
10/10🌟
E.
Veľa obrázkov a mýty písané pre lajkov si proste zamilujete. Celé dielo je písané veľmi prehľadne, takže sa nestratíte ani v kope mien.
Mne osobne sa páčil príbeh o tom, ako vznikla prvá múmia a postava Anupa - boha často zobrazovaného ako šakala alebo boha s hlavou šakala.
Opäť sme tu mali veľa (ale nie až toľko) incestu ako v Gréckych mýtoch - bez tejto skutočnnosti sa zrejme žiadna mytológia nezaobíde. 🤭
Chcete sa viac dozvedieť o Egyptskej mytológii?
Šup do košíku s touto ilustrovanou kráskou.
10/10🌟
E.
August 17, 2022
I love this series, as does my nephew (who has read Greek Myths 6 times this year, at time of writing). It’s a fantastic introduction to Egyptian myths, laid out fantastically and beautifully illustrated!
It might be aimed at children primarily but I learned so much on my read through - Egyptian mythology is more varied than I ever imagined and I’m glad I got to experience an intro here.
Can’t wait to see what’s next for this fab series!
It might be aimed at children primarily but I learned so much on my read through - Egyptian mythology is more varied than I ever imagined and I’m glad I got to experience an intro here.
Can’t wait to see what’s next for this fab series!
October 18, 2022
Another impressive children's nonfic release from DK and this author. I thought this was incredibly well-done and I quickly discovered how little I knew about Egyptian mythology. This book weaves together gorgeous illustrations with not just the stories of the myths, but also a lot of history/culture of ancient Egypt. It was also fun to see the comparisons between these stories and later mythology & theology. (e.g. scales of judgement to get into heaven)
December 30, 2022
When I tell you I flew through this book, I mean it. The information about Egyptian mythology is explained in the perfect way for the target age group to understand while at the same time still being intriguing for older and younger readers. The colors used in the illustrations are GORGEOUS. I’m tempted to sit here for the next 10 minutes or so to just flip through the pages and see the beautiful illustrations fly by and intertwine with one another.
March 19, 2023
Ein sehr interessantes Buch, das nicht nur einige Geschichten über ägyptische Gottheiten erzählt, sondern auch einen Überblick über einige diese Wesen gibt und erklärt, woher das Wissen über diese Gestalten überhaupt kommt. Stellenweise fokussiert sich das Buch meiner Meinung nach jedoch etwas mehr auf Mythen über bekanntere Gottheiten, mir hätten auch Sachen über eher unbekannte Charaktere gefallen.
January 31, 2024
Celkom milé čítanie. Pre deti je to celkom vhodné, keďže veľmi jednoducho sa tu vysvetľujú egyptské mýty a príbehy. Niekedy sa však prezentuje nepravda. Napríklad: Príbeh o princovi, ktorému predpovedali, že ho zabije pes, had alebo krokodíl má určite koniec, keďže si ho pamätám. Na jednej strane sa raz o hovorí o najstaršej pyramíde ako Chufuovej a raz Džoserovej, atď.
Takže netreba tu všetko brať úplne vážne, ale ako nejaké prvotné predstavenie Egypta deťom to vcelku postačí.
Takže netreba tu všetko brať úplne vážne, ale ako nejaké prvotné predstavenie Egypta deťom to vcelku postačí.
September 11, 2025
A beautifully illustrated and engaging introduction to Egyptian mythology. Jean Menzies' storytelling is clear and accessible, while Katie Ponder's artwork brings the gods, goddesses, and pharaohs vividly to life. Perfect for younger readers or anyone wanting a fun, fast-paced overview of ancient myths-though those looking for deep detail may find it a bit light.
October 18, 2022
When I first reserved this from my library, I didn't realize it was a children's book. So pleasantly surprised that it is! This is the Ancient Egyptian book of my childhood dreams. BEAUTIFUL illustrations and so many Ancient Egyptian stories I'd never heard before.
December 18, 2022
Mısır mitolojisi işe ilgili temel kavramlar ve bilgiler için harika bir başucu kitabı. Dinden tanrı ve tanrıçalara hatta mumyalamaya ve sembollere kadar her şeyle ilgili bilgi var. Açık ve basit ama aynı zamanda doyurucu.
May 30, 2023
This was such an interesting, easy-to-read (and understand) introduction to Egyptian mythos! I've always been so intrigued by Egyptian mythology, and this book, with all the bright colorful illustrations, was so captivating and engaging. I loved this!
June 11, 2023
Very much enjoyed the stories and facts about Egyptian Mythology and adored the illustrations by Katie Ponder. The writing could be better though. I can’t quite put my finger on what it is with Menzies’ style but it doesn’t engage me at all (even though I enjoy her YouTube videos).
Read
November 22, 2023We all know which body part Isis couldn't find of her husband, but this is a children's book. Egyptian myths are strange for sure, but I enjoyed their myths about morals the most. Also, I think Rapunzel originated from an Egyptian myth,
May 3, 2024
This book has Beautiful illustrations and in depth Egyptian mythology. I learned a lot from this book and while the writing style was occasionally clunky in how it was written; for the most part, I think it achieved it’s goal to introduce several of the myths and legends from Egyptian mythology really well. :)
January 18, 2025
Very pretty. Fun little overview. This is probably just a me problem, but at times I felt like I was reading the information on the page in the wrong order (I couldn't always tell where I needed to start).
November 23, 2022
Bold images illustrate a simple volume of Egyptian myths.
December 18, 2022
More a series of lists connected loosely together with narration then a collection of myths, this uninspired text left me ill-informed and underwhelmed.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews