When kids are learning about Egypt, one thing they’re highly interested in is Ancient Egypt. When I was growing up, it was one of the first sections of history we learned about. I wanted to gather some resources to help families get to know more about Ancient Egypt. Here are some ancient Egypt books for kids.
Related: Children’s books set in Egypt
Links are affiliate.
Children’s books about Ancient Egypt
First, I want to start off with some general children’s books about ancient Egypt. These books give a kid-friendly overview of the time. Plus they help parents figure out what eras kids would like to explore.
National Geographic Kids, Everything Ancient Egypt
by Crispin Boyer (Author)
My kids love thumbing through books filled with facts. Especially when it’s something with so many details. National Geographic knows how to highlight the interesting bits and make things very accessible to the reader.
National Geographic Kids, 1000 Facts About Ancient Egypt
by Nancy Honovich (Author)
This is another fun format by National Geographic Kids. It’s geared towards the same age group, but is published more recently. It may be easier to find.
DKfindout! Ancient Egypt
This book coincides with the free online resource by DK called DKfindout! It includes images, illustrations, facts, and even challenges.
Children’s books about Egyptian Mythology
One big part about Ancient Egypt is Egyptian Mythology. According to Egypt Travel‘s website:
During a Roman civil war, Augustus put an end to centuries of Ptolemaic rule when Cleopatra sided with Marc Anthony against Augustus. After winning the war, Augustus made Egypt a province of Rome. Respecting the tradition of the house of Ptolemy, the Caesars of Rome continued to honour Ancient Egyptian religion.
Egypt Travel
So let’s take a look at some of the books about Ancient Egyptian Mythology for kids.
Treasury of Egyptian Mythology: Classic Stories of Gods, Goddesses, Monsters & Mortals
by Donna Jo Napoli (Author), Christina Balit (Illustrator)
Another National Geographic Kids series book. This time about Egyptian Mythology. According to Booklist, ” It begins with a brief introduction to the genesis of Egyptian culture and a primer on its glyphs and naming conventions. Creation stories and enmeshed tales of a panoply of gods are told in a highly stylized way.”
Ancient Egypt: Tales of Gods and Pharaoh
by Marcia Williams (Author, Illustrator)
This book uses a fun comic book style to tell the story of Ancient Egypt. Kids will love the format.
Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt: Egyptian Mythology for Kids
by Morgan E. Moroney (Author)
If you’re reading this before February 29, 2020, you’ll have to wait. This is the newest book about the Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt. It includes 20 tales, facts, and illustrations.
Children’s books about King Tut
King Tutankhamen lived and died in the 1300s B.C.E. His tomb was discovered by Howard Carter in the early 20th century. Here’s something Carter said about the discovery:
“…as my eyes grew accustomed to the light, details of the room within emerged slowly from the mist, strange animals, statues, and gold – everywhere the glint of gold. For the moment – an eternity it must have seemed to the others standing by – I was struck dumb with amazement, and when Lord Carnarvon, unable to stand the suspense any longer, inquired anxiously, ‘Can you see anything?’ it was all I could do to get out the words, ‘Yes, wonderful things.”
Goodreads
Who Was King Tut?
by Roberta Edwards (Author), Who HQ (Author), True Kelley (Illustrator)
My kids LOVE the Who Was series. I think part of the reason is because it’s a familiar concept in a format that’s almost collectible status. They like to see how many books they have, how many they still need – what they have to learn. So, of course, this is going to be a great way to learn about King Tut for kidsl
You Wouldn’t Want to Be Tutankhamen!
by David Stewart (Author), David Antram (Illustrator)
Learn about King Tut via this humourous and light-hearted series “You wouldn’t want to be…”
Tut’s Mummy: Lost…and Found
by Judy Donnelly (Author), James Watling (Illustrator)
Learn about King Tut’s life, then King Tut’s tomb. The Step into Reading series is perfect for early readers. Let kids explore Ancient Egypt and King Tut in this made-for-them book.
Children’s books about Cleopatra
Cleopatra was the last ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt. These books will help kids learn more about her.
“Alack, sir, no; her passions are made of nothing but the finest part of pure love. We cannot call her winds and waters sighs and tears; they are greater storms and tempests than almanacs can report: this cannot be cunning in her; if it be, she makes a shower of rain as well as Jove.”
― William Shakespeare, Antony and Cleopatra
I am Cleopatra
by Grace Norwich (Author), Elisabeth Alba (Illustrator)
Cleopatra tells her story in this popular “I am” series by Scholastic.
Cleopatra Rules!: The Amazing Life of the Original Teen Queen
by Vicky Alvear Shecter (Author)
Kids will love reading about Cleopatra in this book. From Amazon, “ascending to the throne at 17, Cleopatra proved herself a brilliant negotiator who forged alliances that kept her in power and in control of her kingdom. This book about Egypt’s last and most famous pharaoh features an inviting text, many sidebars, and excellent color illustrations: maps, photos of ancient artifacts, and artworks from many historical periods.”
Cleopatra VII: Daughter of the Nile, Egypt, 57 B.C.
by Kristiana Gregory (Author)
This is told in Cleopatra’s perspective via a diary. It’s part of the popular Royal Diaries chapter book series.
Children’s books about Egyptian Pyramids
We don’t often think about ancient Egypt without thinking about the Pyramids. The cool thing is, they’re still there to see in person if your family ever makes a trip to Egypt. In the meantime, here are some books to acquaint the kids with these world wonders.
Built during a time when Egypt was one of the richest and most powerful civilizations in the world, the pyramids—especially the Great Pyramids of Giza—are some of the most magnificent man-made structures in history. Their massive scale reflects the unique role that the pharaoh, or king, played in ancient Egyptian society.
History.com
National Geographic Readers: Pyramids
by Laura Marsh (Author)
This early reader series is a good way for kids who are interested in learning about a new things on their own. This time, kids will learn about pyramids.
You Wouldn’t Want to Be a Pyramid Builder!
by Jacqueline Morley (Author), David Antram (Illustrator)
Take some time to imagine what life must’ve been like for the people who built the pyramids with this book.
Where Are the Great Pyramids?
by Dorothy Hoobler (Author), Thomas Hoobler (Author), Who HQ (Author), Jerry Hoare (Illustrator)
As mentioned above, kids really like this series of books. If you’re going to read about King Tut, you might as well also share the book about the Great Pyramids with your kids, too.
Children’s books about Egyptian Mummies
Any discussion about pyramids will lead to questions about mummies. So, I’m helping you out here with some book recommendations. Below you’ll find two books about mummies and one book about the discovery of King Tut’s mummy.
Mummification was practiced throughout most of early Egyptian history. The earliest mummies from prehistoric times probably were accidental. By chance, dry sand and air (since Egypt has almost no measurable rainfall) preserved some bodies buried in shallow pits dug into the sand. About 2600 B.C., during the Fourth and Fifth Dynasties, Egyptians probably began to mummify the dead intentionally. The practice continued and developed for well over 2,000 years, into the Roman Period (ca. 30 B.C.–A.D. 364). Within any one period the quality of the mummification varied, depending on the price paid for it. The best prepared and preserved mummies are from the Eighteenth through the Twentieth Dynasties of the New Kingdom (ca. 1570–1075 B.C.) and include those of Tutankhamen and other well-known pharaohs.
Smithsonian
Inside Out Egyptian Mummy: Unwrap an Egyptian mummy layer by layer!
by Lorraine Jean Hopping (Author)
It’s described in Amazon like this, “That isn’t all though! Alongside beautiful illustrations and photographs, an interactive die-cut model reveals the many rites of the Egyptian tomb. You will be amazed by everything from the iconic golden burial mask, to the lucky amulets the dead were buried with, protective linen wrappings, and even the mummified body and preserved sacred organs. And when it comes to hieroglyphics, hidden burial grounds, and missing treasure, there’s always more to uncover, so get your start now, who knows where your journeys will take you!”
National Geographic Kids Readers: Mummies
by Elizabeth Carney (Author)
This book talks about mummies around the world. Many cultures have mummies and this explains some of the reasons people do it.
Howard and the Mummy: Howard Carter and the Search for King Tut’s Tomb
by Tracey Fern (Author), Boris Kulikov (Illustrator)
This picture book shares the story of Howard Carter. “When he was seventeen, he took a job with the Egypt Exploration Fund and was sent to Egypt to learn about archaeology and excavation sites. And his mummy hunt was on! Howard discovered many amazing artifacts, but he searched for years before coming upon the most famous mummy of all, King Tut.”
Children’s books about Hieroglyphics
I once heard emojis described as modern hieroglyphics. I imagine that that comparison would make it that much more interesting to kids. If your kid is interested in learning more about Hieroglyphics, here are some books to consider.
Egyptian hieroglyphs were the formal writing system used in Ancient Egypt. Hieroglyphs combined logographic, syllabic and alphabetic elements, with a total of some 1,000 distinct characters.
Wikipedia
Hieroglyphs
by Joyce Milton (Author), Charles Micucci (Illustrator)
This book, plus the included stencils aim to answer a lot of questions. “Here they learn all about hieroglyphs, the beautiful pictogram writing that appears on mummy cases, papyrus scrolls, tomb walls, etc. What do the different symbols mean? How did we learn to decipher hieroglyphs? What was school and learning to read and write like for children of ancient Egypt?”
Fun with Hieroglyphs
by Metropolitan Museum of Art (Author), Catharine Roehrig (Author)
This kit and informative guide was developed by the Metropolitan Museum of Art to help kids get hands-on experience to learn and practice hieroglyphs.
Fun With Egyptian Symbols Stencils
by Ellen Harper (Author)
Dover Little Activity Books pack a lot of punch in a small packet. Learn about hieroglyphics with stencils in this book.
Children’s books about life in Ancient Egypt
After getting all the facts and details about aspects of Ancient Egypt – here are some books that look at life from a kid’s perspective.
If I Were a Kid in Ancient Egypt: Children of the Ancient World
by Cobblestone Publishing (Author)
Life was definitely different in ancient Egypt. “This book shows them what their lives would have been like there. There was no school, since most people couldn’t read or write, and no need to worry about fashion, because children didn’t wear clothes! Rich or poor, their houses would have been made of mud bricks.’
So You Think You’ve Got It Bad? A Kid’s Life in Ancient Egypt
by Chae Strathie (Author)
Things weren’t easy for kids in ancient Egypt. “In this hilarious book, written by award-winning author Chae Strathie, children will learn exactly how difficult life really was, from dodging Deathstalker scorpions and cleaning up cow dung, to fetching water from the well, eating roast hedgehog and being slammed in the stocks for being naughty at school!”
Gritty, Stinky Ancient Egypt: The Disgusting Details About Life in Ancient Egypt
by James A. Corrick III (Author)
As one reviewer describes it, this book gives a “reality check” of life in ancient Egypt.
What books would you recommend for kid’s interested in Ancient Egypt? Let me know in the comments.
