People Did What in Ancient Egypt?
People Did What in Ancient Egypt?
Pharaoh Pepi II became a pharaoh when he was just six years old. According to legend, there was nothing he hated more than flies. He hated flies so much that he covered two naked slaves in honey and had them stand near him at all times. That way, all the annoying flies got stuck to the slaves and left Pepi alone.
Pharaoh Tutankhamun wore very special sandals. His sandals had his enemies painted on them. With every step he took, Tut squashed his enemies under his feet!
Judging by the titles of the books and the series (“People Did What???”), readers know they are in for a fun and interesting reading experience. Wacky, weird and gross facts are presented as the books describe what life was like in ancient times. Topics include religion, myths, homes, food, clothing and hairstyles, customs, medicine, education, language, art, entertainment, sports, pets, government, crime and punishment, and death and the underworld. A double-page spread is devoted to each topic. The information is dispensed in a light, conversational writing style injected with plenty of humour. Occasionally, the poop, pee, fart and butt references become a bit stale and overdone, but young children tend to enjoy all things gross, and the fact remains that in ancient Roman times, for example, urine was part of a concoction used to launder clothing, and that ashes from burnt cow excrement, mixed with honey, were used to get rid of warts. Illustrations consist of drawings, photographs and a few maps. Humour appears again in the labelling of the illustrations or in the speech bubbles beside them. A table of contents, a glossary, an index and a list of books and websites for further study are provided.
A book about ancient Egypt would not be complete without information about mummies, but there is much more than that in People Did What in Ancient Egypt? Among other topics in this title, readers will learn about the division of labour among Egyptian citizens, ancient dentistry, magical amulets to prevent disease, dental hygiene that included toothpaste made from powdered ox hooves, ashes, burnt egg shells and pumice stone, a sport that is similar to hockey, and the use of monkey “butlers” that were trained to fetch things for the homeowner. Monkeys were also trained to attack criminals who were fleeing the scene of a crime.
Though much of the information in this series can be found in other books, its engaging writing style and selection of bizarre facts provide a refreshing alternative and make the series worthy of addition to a school or library collection.
Gail Hamilton is a former teacher-librarian in Winnipeg, Manitoba.