Kids are endlessly fascinated with Ancient Egypt. The pyramids, the tombs, the mummies, the jackal- and ibis- and cow-headed gods, the Book of the Dead - what a thrill! The modern approach to Egyptian history for kids focuses almost entirely on the archaeology, the material culture, and the mythology of Ancient Egypt. Today's kids study mummification and pyramid-building theories in minute detail, but they miss out almost entirely on the vast body of traditional knowledge flowing from the legends and biographical anecdotes of the historical figures of that era.
For over two thousand years, kids have read about the megalomania of pharaohs Cheops (Khufu) and Ozymandias (Ramses II), the plight of Pharaoh Mycerinus (Menkaure), the destiny of Pharaoh Psammetichus (Psamtik I), the pranks of Pharaoh Ahmose (Amasis II), and other stories. For our ancestors, those stories were the full history of Ancient Egypt - glorified in endless historical paintings, illustrations and works of poetry, such as 'Ozymandias' by Shelly or 'Mycerinus' by Matthew Arnold. This traditional knowledge of Egyptian history is a part of our European cultural heritage that has fallen largely out of view.
'Ancient Egypt for Kids through the Lives and Legends of its Pharaohs and Queens' seeks to restore that traditional, story-based, route of teaching the history of Ancient Egypt - blending the biography-focused approach of classical writers with the facts established by modern archaeology and other sciences. These stories - historical anecdotes and legends - are either directly quoted in this book or retold in their entirety without adding any fictional color. Anything gruesome, off-color, or outside traditional-family-friendly morality is not included.
Pharaohs – Menes, Djoser, Khufu, Khafre, Menkaure, Thutmose III, Akhenaten,
Tutankhamun, Ramses II, Psamtik I, Amasis II, Alexander the Great, Ptolemy Soter
Queens – Hatshepsut, Nefertiti, Cleopatra VII
