- classic collection of many myths and fables which originated in Ancient Egypt
- describes many gods and other fantasy creatures
- violence such as war, deceit, and murder are all written in a simple way for younger audiences
- other items for conversation: romance, magic, beer, talking to the dead
Type: chapter book
Ages: 8+
Author: Roger Lancelyn Green
If you are familiar with the Bible, you’ll find a few of these tales are interesting parallels to stories in Scripture. For one example, “Khnemu of the Nile” (chapter 4) tells of seven famine years with no mention of Joseph but, rather, their own version of how they survived it.
There are many themes of “good and evil” throughout, though sometimes “good” is just “better.” It should provide a lot of interesting discussion if you read this aloud or as a family. The “evil” involves quite a bit of killing, trickery and, once, child sacrifice.
The Egyptians had a god for seemingly everything, including one who “created all things.” If your child will be reading this, be ready for contrasting the ancient beliefs with the Bible! Overall, it’s worth a read–some of the tales might just become new favorites!