Ma'at

November 1, 2019

Gr 4-8-These books are filled with facts, features, and gorgeous Egyptian art. However, the short sentences are so choppy, clunky, and ungraceful that reading these rich, unique myths is joyless and ponderous. Moreover, vocabulary in this series, aimed at reluctant readers, isn't necessarily elementary. Most new words are defined immediately; occasionally, words, sometimes names, appear without explanations and pronunciation guides. There are sidebars in each title. "Real-World Connection" discusses someone whose work reflects the deity's; "Family Tree" lists the god's relatives; "Cross-Cultural Connection" describes a similar god from another culture; "Explained by Science" gives a real-world explanation of the god's superpower. "Did You Know?" provides additional information about the god; "Consider This!" presents three critical thinking activities whose vocabulary and sentence structure are on a higher level than the main text's. VERDICT Detailed, visually dazzling, and offering impressive learning add-ons, but only limited purchase recommended.

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2019
Grades 3-6 The latest set of books to join the Gods & Goddesses of the Ancient World series (8 new titles) is devoted to ancient Egyptian deities. Over the course of five brief chapters, each book describes the featured god or goddess, the way (or ways) he or she was depicted, where the deity is positioned within the greater pantheon, and what aspects of life ancient Egyptians believed the god or goddess controlled. The goddess of truth and justice spreads her wings in Ma'at, wherein readers glimpse her role judging souls in the afterlife. Unfortunately, the overly simplified sentences and largely incidental illustrations (which lack captions) muddy the clarity of information within the books. Each title is, however, usefully equipped with text boxes that offer cross-cultural or scientific connections and a page of fast facts. The high-interest subject and pick-me-up appeal of the books will certainly attract readers; but have more in-depth resources on hand for the inevitable questions these series installments will spark.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)