Mummy Cat

Title: Mummy Cat

Bibliographic information:

Author: Marcus Ewert

Illustrator: Lisa Brown

• Print Length: 48 pages
• Publisher: Clarion Books (July 21, 2015)
• Publication Date: July 21, 2015
• Language: English

Reader's Annotation:

When the Mummy Cat wakes up after a century, he wanders around the tomb, looking for his princess, and remembering the happy times they have had together.

Interest Level: Ages 5-9

Lexile level: 580

Awards, if applicable: Not Applicable

Plot summary: When Mummy Cat wakes up, he searches everywhere for his human, the girl-queen Hatshepsut.  He checks everywhere to see if she has come back, so that he will not be lonely any more.  He is comforted by scenes of the life that they lived together, painted on the pyramid walls.

Critical review:  The art in this book is incredible, with vibrant details which brings the art and the mummification process of ancient Egypt to life.  Especially noteworthy is the use of hieroglyphs, which help to tell the story within a story; the story of Hatshepsut and her jealous sister.  This layered storytelling, makes a story which is appealing to a much wider range of audiences.

Why include it?

This striking book brings elements of ancient Egypt to life; the perfect compliment to a non-fiction section on Egypt or an appealing story in its own right.