Mummies (National Geographic Kids)

Gr 5-7--A gratifyingly grisly album of choice photos accompanies Sloan's lucid, informative text as he describes not only the mummification processes but also individual mummies produced whether by intent or by chance. From the dried Beauty of Kroran in China to the bundled Lady of Cao in a Peruvian pyramid or the familiar Boy King Tut in Egypt, a global variety is offered to fascinated readers. An excellent appendix includes a map, a time line, and a glossary. A bibliography of adult material and three websites are included, but there are no suggestions for further reading that might list Sandra Markle's fine Outside and Inside Mummies (Walker, 2005), Shelley Tanaka's more difficult Mummies: The Newest, Coolest & Creepiest from Around the World (Abrams, 2005), Kelly Hall's more tightly focused Mysteries of the Mummy Kids (Darby Creek, 2007), or, on a different slant altogether, Philip Manning's intriguing Dinomummy: The Life, Death and Discovery of Dakota, a Dinosaur from Hell Creek (Kingfisher 2007). Even libraries that own these titles should find room on their shelves for Sloan's well-written, heavily illustrated glimpse into the world of after-death preservation, either by accident or design.--Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY