Notable for its physical and geographical diversity, this chronologically arranged gallery of preserved remains human or otherwise pairs informal remarks by each subject with descriptive notes on facing pages supplied by individually identified modern archaeologists and paleontologists...In her painted illustrations Morrison likewise alternates reasonably realistic views of shriveled faces and sumptuous sarcophagi or arrays of artifacts with fleshed-out figures in historical or prehistorical settings. Brief descriptions of how the various types of mummies are created and some of the tools modern scientists use to study them bring up the rear along with a map and review quizzes. An unusually animated way to unwrap a popular topic.
Some of the mummified people will sound familiar to many readers, such as Ramesses III and King Tut. Other people “an Inca maiden and Lady Dai, a Chinese woman” will not be so obvious or well known. Segments at the end of the book show a map of where the mummies were found, the kind of tools used by the scientists, and explanations of how mummies are made.
"If a Mummy Could Talk..." is a fascinating exploration of the findings discovered by modern scientific analyses of prehistoric mummies. Written for readers ages 4-9, "If a Mummy Could Talk..." investigates facts found about a variety of animals and human mummies...Illustrations include a picture of the mummy as it would have looked when it was alive, a short paragraph of what the mummy might have said or thought, and an illustration of the mummy as it was found later, with additional known facts about the mummy 's life. Each mummy is described by a different learned scientist or physician who has studied the mummy. An additional section called For Creative minds offers a Mummy map to show where the mummies were found on a world map. more information is provided about mummy scientists and their tools, plus a section on how to make a mummy, describing four methods: bogged down, drying out, the Egyptian method, and freezing up. Additional activities include mummy sequencing or unscrambling seven mummies from different eras in order from the oldest to the most recent. Finally the reader is asked to sort pictures of mummies based on whether they are natural or man made. "If a Mummy Could Talk..." is a fascinating book for children to explore the many things that can be learned about the past from mummies through modern tools of science.
Facts gleaned from research and scientific observation bring each mummy's story to life for readers, and provide clues to each demise. Discussions about different types of mummification, a mummy map of the world, and features on scientists' tools and technology make up the back matter For Creative Minds section.
The pictures in this book are colored illustrations, but the stories about each mummy featured are true. It talks about Otzi, the Ice Man and Vladimir Lentin, among other people and animals. Because mummification occurs after death, there is talk of the afterlife and other suggestive material. If your child is old enough to be okay with that kind of talk, this book is a good resource of entertaining information. Although this book is geared towards kids ages 4-9, I found it interesting to read myself. I learned that King Tut had many health problems and his parents were probably related!
Here is a beautiful volume, hardback, large-size pages that contain valuable and fascintaing information and pictures about mummies. Included in this fascinating volume: Facts about Lyuva from Dr. Daniel Fisher; Blue Babel Steppe Bison; Otzi, the Ice Man; King Tut; Ramesses III, Tamut; Tollund Man; Lady Dai; Vladimir Lenin; and much more. Also included: Mummy Scientists and Their Tools and How to Make a Mummy; and much more. This book give a great deal of information about this fascinating subject, as well as answering the many questions that exist.