British Museum: Talk Like an Egyptian

By Author / Illustrator

Tegen Evans (Senior Editor), Nina Chakrabarti (Illustrator)

Genre

Non Fiction

Age range(s)

Publisher

Nosy Crow

ISBN

9781805130093

Format

Hardback

Published

12-09-2024

Synopsis

Create your own secret messages with 125 hieroglyphic stencils! In this fun and fascinating activity book from the British Museum, budding Egyptologists can learn all about life in ancient Egypt - from mummies, pets and Tutankhamun's tomb, to the spells, nicknames and funny messages that have been discovered - before using the sturdy card stencils and dictionary to create secret messages.

Learn to write your name in hieroglyphs, measure your height in Egyptian hands and even write a spooky spell!

Features include a dazzling gold-foil cover; beautiful colour illustrations on every page by award-winning Nina Chakrabarti; high-quality, sustainable paper and sturdy card stencils, making this an eco-friendly format; it's been created with world-leading hieroglyphics experts from the British Museum. The perfect gift for any child aged 7+

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Reviews

Talk Like an Egyptian is a sturdy hardback book, offering pages of information about Egyptian hieroglyphs and 125 stencils, allowing readers to create their own words and messages.

Starting with an explanation of what hieroglyphs are, the information pages explore Jean-Francois Champollion's cracking of their code using the Rosetta Stone and offer information about the gods and goddesses of Ancient Egypt, Tutankhamun's tomb and life at the time.

The end section of the book is devoted to a set of thick cardboard stencils, perfect for creating messages. The robust nature of the stencils means that they are sure to stand up to repeated usage, meaning that they might well be useful for groups in a classroom situation as well as at home. Children can draw around the shapes themselves as well as using the stencil shapes, offering two possibilities for each hieroglyph.

Each themed sheet, e.g. numbers and letters, is printed on a different colour which makes finding the meaning and returning them to the right place much easier. There is also a sheet of glyphs entitled 'Just for Fun', allowing children to create their own words.

The combination of information and activity is sure to make this book a great success!

48 pages / Reviewed by Sue Wilsher, teacher