Pocket Explorer: Ancient Egypt and the Nile

by Joyce Filer

Discover Ancient Egypt and explore pyramids, tombs, temples, quarries, cities, and farms along the banks of the River Nile. Egypt was one of the greatest ancient civilizations in Africa, and it was the River Nile that made life possible in this hot desert country. Explore the world of Ancient Egyptians, as you journey along the River Nile from deep in Africa to the Mediterranean Sea. Travel to ancient Egypt and meet the people who lived and worked in the towns, temples, farms, deserts, and oases through an exploration of significant places and artifacts. Find out how the flooding of the Nile from its sources deep in Africa created a fertile land in the midst of the desert, allowing a powerful and rich civilization to flourish.

Genres: History

32 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2010

Reviews

[Timothy McNeil · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is much worthwhile in this brief overview of Ancient Egypt -- coverage of the origins of mummification, the measurement of the Nile's flood level (the 'Nilometers'), and especially the information on Ancient Nubia -- but when taken as a whole, Pocket Explorer: Ancient Egypt doesn't have the same depth of coverage that the books in the same serieson Ancient Rome or Ancient Greece do. Combine that with the majority of in-book maps having little detail to place the selection in the greater geographical context (I was also disappointed in the fold-out map in the back, which had little in the way of information beyond the locations of ancient forts and pyramids) and museum models (it is unclear as to whether these are period pieces or dioramas) to illustrate the mundane aspects of life in Ancient Egypt. The end result is a book that is perfectly well suited for the advertised age range (it is listed for "ages nine and up") in terms of its vocabulary and structure, but not one that provides much of an overview of the people of the kingdoms.

I would have preferred to see more information given about the Lower Kingdom. Likewise, since Coptic Christianity is brought up in the book, I would have liked to see it get more than three sentences (and no information about anything unique to the Coptic sect). Curiously, given that both Christianity and Islam get a mention in the book (I also would have thought that the Islam section, if not just the religion but the changes wrought by the enduring Arabian influence), there is no mention of Judaism or the Ancient Hebrews. I would have expected that could have been covered briefly, but the book instead chose to focus on geography and ancient building sites.

I would rate this higher for children, but I don't think it translates as well for a nice, brief, and picture-laden overview for many above the age of 13.