Review by Booklist Review
Gr. 3-6. Readers who get beyond the doggerel verse in the first few pages ("ABCs can be fun. / Do you know yours by heart? / They help you make words. / They help you be smart.") may be intrigued that most of the letters in our alphabet have equivalents in Egyptian hieroglyphics. Although the book could be used as an ABC book for younger children, its main value is in giving older kids the opportunity to learn about ancient Egyptian writing in a hands-on way while picking up tidbits of information about the culture. Still, there's room for confusion: "A is for archer who carries a bow"; however--in small type--"To write the letter A the Egyptians used a vulture." This isn't particularly useful even as a mnemonic device. In fact, the use of the rhyming ABC text seems awkward and unnecessary throughout the book. The graphics are bold and striking, with full-color borders using Egyptian motifs and clear, simplified line drawings of hieroglyphs. With the book comes a stiff plastic sheet of stencils for the hieroglyphs, a feature that will make library book processors groan. The stencil sheet could be circulated, though, by adding a large pocket to the endpapers. Recommended for libraries where teachers are asking for materials on ancient Egyptian writing. ~--Carolyn Phelan
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A disappointing, downscale version of Fun with Hieroglyphs , this picture book cum abecedary cum code book cum Egyptology seminar tries in vain to be all things to all readers. ``A is an archer who carries a bow,'' for example, suggests a very young audience, as does the format, with its large pictures and large type. The rest of that page's contents, however, aims higher--there's a hieroglyph corresponding to the letter ``A''; the word ``archer'' spelled out in hieroglyphs; information (in small type) about the animals hunted by ancient Egyptian archers; and a static design, which is repeated on the other spreads. Kids attracted to the idea of using the hieroglyphs to transliterate English will find that considerable skill is required to reproduce them freehand; the hieroglyph stencils included with the book, small of scale and lacking definition, also demand a high degree of manual dexterity. Ages 7-up. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-6-In this visually appealing presentation, Der Manuelian shows hieroglyphs that correspond to letters of the English alphabet. He presents the information in the form of an alphabet book in rhyme with a picture of an Egyptian item beginning with that letter in English. Unfortunately, the rhyme is weak and condescending. The colorful drawings and bold, border prints are based on Egyptian paintings and carvings. This book will be great for kids who want to write in code, but not for readers who want to learn how hieroglyphics functioned as an alphabet on their own. Many letters of the Egyptian alphabet aren't included here, but there are some tips on how the original glyphs were read. Cardboard stencils are provided to help children make the symbols' outlines, but may not survive much library use.-Cathryn A. Camper, Minneapolis Public Library (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Co-published with the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. A simpering rhyme mars an otherwise intelligent format, in which illustrations modeled after ancient Egyptian carvings and paintings flesh out the connection between each hieroglyph and its equivalent in our alphabet. Nonetheless, the subject's inherent appeal, combined with the bonus attraction of stencils -- one per letter -- should guarantee the book an audience. From HORN BOOK 1993, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
