Nile crossing

Katy Beebe

Book - 2017

"Khepri, who lives in ancient Egypt, begins to feel nervous as he and his father travel to Thebes for Khepri's first day of scribe school"--

Saved in:

Children's Room Show me where

jE/Beebe
1 / 1 copies available
Location Call Number   Status
Children's Room jE/Beebe Checked In
Subjects
Genres
Picture books
Published
Grand Rapids, Michigan : Eerdmans Books for Young Readers 2017.
Language
English
Main Author
Katy Beebe (author)
Other Authors
Sally Wern Comport (illustrator)
Physical Description
1 volume (unpaged) : color illustrations ; 30 x 27 cm
ISBN
9780802854254
Contents unavailable.
Review by School Library Journal Review

Gr 2-5-Readers will gain a whole new perspective on the first day of school when they read about a fisherman's son in ancient Egypt on his first day. Khepri and his father leave their quiet village before dawn to sail down the Nile to the busy city of Thebes, where the boy will learn to be a scribe. "I walk close beside my father. He puts a reassuring hand on my shoulder, and the words we do not say fill the hush of dawn." Once they arrive and his father hugs him goodbye, Khepri is left alone to face his fears. "As I stand outside the courtyard, I hear the other boys talking and laughing inside. My new pen case is strange in my hand. Already I miss the feel of the net and the weight of a good catch." The narrative ends before his school day begins, but a few pages of notes offer more information about his first day as well as about school in ancient Egypt in general. After a new friend teaches him to write his name, he says, "Good.Now you just have to learn about seven hundred more signs, how they go together in a thousand different ways, and all the sacred texts. Not a bad start, as the serpent said when he swallowed the toe of the hippopotamus." Endpapers tell Khepri's story in hieroglyphs, and the beautifully rendered illustrations, in shades of blue, green, yellow, and orange, were created digitally with pastels and acrylics. Meticulously researched, the pictures effectively capture the setting and characters' dress as well as the mood on this momentous morning. VERDICT Quiet but beautifully written, this is a great informational read-aloud about starting school, ancient Egypt, and hieroglyphics.-Barbara Auerbach, formerly at New York City Public Schools © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review

A starting-school story set in the Egyptian New Kingdom (c. 1550-1070 B.C.E.). "A fisherman's life is the best life of all," but for young Khepri, son of a fisherman, life is about to change. On this morning, he rises early with his father for a journey across the Nile to begin school, where he will learn to be a scribe. The first-person point of view is perfect for conveying, in vivid, sensuous prose, Khepri's feelings and descriptions of the town, river, and bustling city of Thebes. Comport's illustrationsdigitally created with pastels and acrylic paintare inspired by traditional decorative textiles and patterns and are beautifully presented in double-page spreads. Oddly, though, the poetic narrative abruptly ends as Khepri is about to enter the gates of the school. A densely printed, one-page backmatter section titled "Writing in Ancient Egypt" concludes the story, but it makes the book feel out of balance. Though it was unusual for the son of a fisherman to attend school in Khepri's time, his story evokes the same excitement and fear that many schoolchildren experience when starting a new year, so the withholding of the in-school experience from the main narrative is a disappointment. A beautiful, flawed story that rings true even if set thousands of years ago. (historical note, bibliography, author's note, illustrator's note, glossary) (Picture book. 6-9) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.