"Yes, Egyptians were feline fanatics. But why?
Ancient Egyptians were a farming people. They lived
closely with nature.
Poisonous snakes were a deadly danger.
Rats and mice carried diseases and germs and ate up
crops, such as wheat, that the Egyptians needed for food.
Cats hunted these pests and became cherished pets,
protecting the health and homes of Egyptian families."
This is the third book in the Head-To-Head History series from Kids Can Press. It is a 525 BCE story from two Fertile Crescent countries - Persia and Egypt. When Emperor Cambyses II of Persia proposed marriage to Egyptian Pharaoh Amasis II's daughter, it created a huge problem in her country.
" ... Amasis did not want to send his daughter
off to a different country.
Egyptians believed anyone who died outside of
Egypt could be lost in the afterlife."
Refusing the proposal might cause a war between the two. To that end, Amasis sent a young woman, posing as his daughter, to Persia. She immediately fessed up to not being the princess. Cambyses' plans for invasion were based on what his advisors could learn about Egypt before moving forward. The one standout discovery concerned their long-held worship of cats. The attack was planned, using cats as a ploy to distract soldiers and ensure success in the Battle of Pelusium. It worked. The army would not risk harming the cats; Cambyses became the new ruler of Egypt!
Conversational in tone, and rife with feline puns, readers will easily absorb the storytelling. The setup that leads to the battle is easily understood; the battle itself ends almost before it begins. Digital art provides the context needed for the intended audience to understand this event in history. Notes in back matter explain how historians decide what really happened, showing what is fact and what is fiction. That is followed by a glossary and a list of sources, both print and digital.
No comments:
Post a Comment