- Hardcover: 32 pages
- Publisher: Atheneum (Oct 1 2000)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0689830467
- ISBN-13: 978-0689830464
- Product Dimensions: 28.8 x 24.9 x 1 cm
- Shipping Weight: 499 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
#927,091 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #18 in Books > Children's Books > Literature > Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths > African
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Product Details |
Product Description
From School Library Journal
Grade 1-5-Children fascinated by ancient Egypt and hieroglyphs should enjoy this retelling based on a tale found on an ancient papyrus scroll from the 19th century B.C.E. The sole survivor of a shipwreck relates being washed up on the shore of a paradisiacal "Island of the Soul" inhabited only by a huge serpent. As the sailor and serpent become friends, the creature tells how he lost his family and predicts the man's rescue, after which the island "will disappear forever under the waves, but it will always be with you, for it lives in your heart." The story, with its mystical snake and mysterious island, will hold readers' interest. The book is most successful, however, as a peek into ancient Egyptian folklore, art, and language. Bower's captivating pictures illustrate the story in the style of ancient Egyptian artists, utilizing vivid earth tones, blues, greens, and reds to depict a world that seems orderly even as a ship is overturned and its sailors drown. Hieroglyphic representations of highlighted phrases with their phonetic Egyptian translations appear on most pages of text. Five pages at the end give fascinating background. Pair this tale with Eric Kimmel's Onions and Garlic (Holiday, 1996) in a shipwreck-survivors storytime for school-aged children.
Louise L. Sherman, formerly at Anna C. Scott School, Leonia, NJ
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Louise L. Sherman, formerly at Anna C. Scott School, Leonia, NJ
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Gr. 3-5. This captivating picture book for older children, based on a four-thousand-year-old papyrus scroll now in Moscow's Hermitage Museum, tells of a sailor, the sole survivor of a shipwreck, who finds himself on an island paradise, the Island of the Soul. A huge serpent, with scales of gold and lapis, finds the man and assures him he will soon be rescued. When the prediction comes to pass, the serpent gives the man "precious things" to take back with him, asking only that the sailor speak well of him. The pictures beautifully reflect the colors and hieratic forms traditionally associated with ancient Egypt, and children interested in hieroglyphs (virtually all children) will be fascinated by the bands of hieroglyphs shown and translated on the text page. They'll have a great time comparing the text to the pictures. The book includes a map, notes about the story, an explanation of the symbols, and a bibliography. GraceAnne DeCandido
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
How could a shipwreck turn out to be good?,
By Thomas H. Williams (Huntington Beach, CA USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Shipwrecked Sailor: An Egyptian Tale with Hieroglyphs (Hardcover)
Imagine you are a sailor on your way to work in the mines. You ship gets wrecked by a hugh wave in a storm. You are the only survivor. You float toward an island. Once you get on land the trees split and the earth trembles. A giant snake appears who demands to know how you got there. This is BAD!When you are rescued four months later you have made a friend and you are rich. This is GOOD! Based on a papyrus scroll from the 19th century B.C.E., this tale is illustrated with Egyptian designs from tombs and temples of the New Kingdom. There are hieroglyphs translating some of the story. The illustrator, Tamara Bower, includes explanations on the symbols she uses in the artwork and a detailed history of the Pharaoh's gold mines in Nubia and Punt. Things both GOOD and BAD. This book is a MUST HAVE!
5.0 out of 5 stars
It's BEAUTIFUL,
By Claire Chandler (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Shipwrecked Sailor: An Egyptian Tale with Hieroglyphs (Hardcover)
The book is magic! Ms. Bower's illustrations are gorgeous! I wish I'd had a book like this when I was a child.
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Remarkable Tale,
By Dr. James Romano (Curator, Egyptian Art, Brooklyn Museum of Art) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Shipwrecked Sailor: An Egyptian Tale with Hieroglyphs (Hardcover)
Egyptologists have long considered the fable of The Shipwrecked Sailor one of the most remarkable fairy tales to survive from the time of the pharaohs. Ms. Bower's original, vibrant illustrations, inspired by Egyptian wall paintings, truly bring this exciting adventure to life.
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