History Smashers: Ancient Egypt, by Kate Messner

 

Publication October ,2025

Egypt is a favorite topic and I love this series, so a win-win for me. Kate Messner manages to squeeze in lots of information and frequently with humor. Given the huge stretch of time Ancient Egypt falls into, there's lots of information, too, as well as fact-checking, so to speak. Her light touch makes it an easy, enjoyable read and there are lots and lots of pictures. It's divided into sections, giving you a sense of where you are in history as you read and, quite frankly, helping not overwhelm us with too much at one time. Obviously there is some overlap, such as in the evolution of pyramid building, starting with Imhotep's first pyramid way back in, well, you'll get all that info as you read, which is a good thing since I didn't write down the date. I did note that the Great Pyramid used over 23 million blocks weighing about a ton each, so my attention to detail was obviously scattered. 

In any case, my scarcity of notes aside, you'll learn a great deal about Egyptian history, not to mention the ancient mythology which I've always found fascinating. Mummies? Of courses there is info on them. I found the discussion of the taking, okay, theft, of some of Egypt's wonder artifacts by various other countries quite pertinent in light of current chatter about a valuable painting stolen by the Nazis being discovered recently. Another timely subject might be that in the time of Ancient Egypt rulers tended to try to erase the accomplishments or even existence of prior kings by destroying as much evidence of their rule as possible, whether it be by re-engraving their own name in stone (literally) as a claim to accomplishments or simple having them destroyed. And, of, much, much more. All done with a deft hand and frequently light touch.

Bottom line, this book would be an excellent addition to any social studies teacher or library, not to mention your own. There's a handy timeline, too, to help you sort out the multitude of info you can pick up from this fun offering. The whimsical cover is an excellent preview of the tone light, even whimsical tone of much this full-of-facts work, making it an easy read. The Ancient Egypt Yearbook spoof near the end is a hoot and includes things like misuse of ancient musical instruments and, well, mummies themselves. I won't tell you some of the things they were used for. Read the book. As noted, lots to learn here, even if it may make you cringe more than once. The humorous illustrations of ways our culture has been influenced by all things Egypt is fun, too, from architecture and Vegas to actor-author-comedian-musician Steve "King Tut" Martin, albeit I didn't see his name mentioned. Just knew immediately what was being referenced, again showing the power of the connection. Thanks #RandomHouseChildrensBooks and #NetGalley for allowing me an early peek at this fun book.