Egypt is one of the most fascinating ancient civilizations and one that seems to catch the interest of children of all ages. These children’s books are sure to delight young readers with their fascinating tales about Ancient Egypt! Your child will learn all about the Ancient Egyptian world through the pages of these picture books, which are mostly non-fiction books. They are both engaging and informative at the same time, and they are books we would choose to read again, which is the criteria for all of my history book lists. My children and I have read all of the books on this list – these are all high-quality books that are kid approved!
Mummies, Pyramids, and Pharaohs: A Book About Ancient Egypt by Gail Gibbons
This book is excellent! It’s long, but my six year-old did not want me to stop reading it because it held her interest so well. It covers lots of topics in lots of interesting detail. This book is full of great info, but is not overwhelmingly long, so it’s still a great choice for the younger crowd. This is a great first book for starting your study of Egypt.
Howard and the Mummy: Howard Carter and the Search for King Tut’s Tomb by Tracey Fern
This is the story of the famous archaeologist Howard Carter, who searched and searched for King Tut’s tomb. After many years of digging in Egypt, Howard Carter finally found the tomb and Tut’s mummy too! The book tells us about the many discoveries Carter made along the way and the methods he developed for documenting his findings. This is a great book for a child who is interested in archeology.
Temple Cat by Andrew Clements
This is a lovely story to use for introducing very young children to the wonders of Ancient Egypt. It’s a story about a cat who lives in a temple and is worshipped and treated like a god. The story introduces the idea that Egyptians had about cats being deity, but is not information heavy on Ancient Egypt in general. It’s a good start for piquing the interest of younger kids though, especially kids who love cats!
Mummies Made in Egypt by Aliki
You can’t go wrong with Aliki! This book is one of the best non-fiction children’s books about mummies, in my opinion. It shows the reader how mummies were made and why and introduces Egyptian gods. The text is very informative and clear, and the illustrations complement the information very well. I highly recommend this picture book!
Hieroglyphs by Joyce Milton
This is a really cool book! It covers all kind of topics related to Egypt’s ancient hieroglyphs such as a scribe’s life and training, how papyrus was made, the hieroglyphs on tomb walls, and how hieroglyphs were used to write. It includes a hieroglyph alphabet, and Ancient Egyptian stencils in the back of the book you can use to make your own hieroglyphs! The book also covers a few topics about life in the ancient world of Egypt, such as mummy making, school for Egyptian children, and Egyptian gods.
You Wouldn’t Want to Be Tutankhamen! by David Stewart and David Antram
King Tut is one of Egypt’s most fabled kings and this book has lots of interesting information about him. It is wordy, so you might need to read it in two or three sittings. I really enjoyed learning about King Tut’s family tree and about the various people involved in Ancient Egyptian government. Both of my elementary-aged children enjoyed this book.
The Mummy Makers of Egypt by Tamara Bower
This is a really excellent book – packed with interesting information woven into the story of Ipy, the embalmer’s son. It is long for a picture book, so it might need to be extended over a few days if reading to very young children.
You Wouldn’t Want to be a Pyramid Builder! A Hazardous Job You’d Rather Not Have by Jacqueline Marley
Lots of great information about how pyramids were built told in an entertaining way. This book includes a lot of information about the daily life of Ancient Egyptians and lots of fun facts. There is a lot of text, so might be best to break it up over a few sittings if sharing it with a younger child.
Muti’s Necklace: The Oldest Story in the World by Louise Hawes
This story is based on one of the Tales of Wonder in the Papyrus Westcar. The illustrations are beautiful, and the story is lovely, and a great example of courage and character. The heroine of the story is a young Egyptian girl who is brave enough to stand her ground against Pharoah’s powerful men, and even Pharaoh himself! I highly recommend this one!
The Shipwrecked Sailor: An Egyptian Tale with Hieroglyphs by Tamara Bower
This is an actual Ancient Egyptian story and comes from papyrus scrolls written in hieroglyphs. The book is really unique in that it tells part of the story with hieroglyphs and gives the translation. Great addition to your study of Ancient Egypt!
Moses in Ancient Egypt by Brad Kessler
If you want to weave Biblical history into your study of Ancient Egypt, this is a great choice!
Cry of the Benu Bird: An Egyptian Creation Story adapted by C. Shana Greger
This is as adaptation of the Ancient Egyptian story of the creation of the Earth. Very interesting and worthwhile as an insight into Ancient Egyptian culture and beliefs.
Pharaoh’s Boat by David Weitzman
This is a detailed story explaining the process that was used to build a boat for the pharaoh Cheops. The information is fascinating, but the book is text heavy, so it might be best broken up over a few sittings when read with younger children.
You Wouldn’t Want to be Cleopatra: An Egyptian Ruler You’d Rather Not Be by Jim Pipe
This is a very interesting book about the famous queen of Egypt, Cleopatra. Cleopatra is such a fascinating person, and this book captures that in an accessible way that is entertaining to children.
The Egyptian Cinderella by Shirley Climo
This is an Ancient Egyptian story that is a mixture of fact and legend. It is about a slave girl who married the pharaoh (which is true) and the legend about how that came to be. A fascinating tale from Egyptian history!
Ancient Egypt: Tales of Gods and Pharaohs retold by Marcia Williams
This is a book of classic stories of gods and pharaohs of Ancient Egypt, told mostly in comic strip form.
Seeker of Knowledge: The Man Who Deciphered Egyptian Hieroglyphs by James Rumford
This is an excellent book! It tells the story of Jean-Francois Champollion, who cracked the code of the Rosetta Stone and opened the door to understanding Egypt’s ancient past. Something special that this book offers is that it explains a little about how Ancient Egyptian writing worked and incorporates the meaning of some hieroglyphs into the story.
The Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt by Leonard Everett Fisher
This is a series of brief stories that introduce the Egyptian gods and stories from Egyptian mythology. The stories are concise and interesting.
You Wouldn’t Want to be an Egyptian Mummy! Disgusting Things You’d Rather Not Know by David Stewart
This book is chock full of information about how mummies were made, why they were made, and so much more. Very interesting and engaging!
Cleopatra by Diane Stanley
A fascinating story-biography packed with information! There are so many interesting details in this story – it’s a feast for children (and adults) who love history. The book helps explain the downfall of Egypt as well as Cleopatra as a person. It is long for a picture book, so it is best for an older elementary child or those who have a bit of patience. I highly recommend all of Diane Stanley’s biographies for children, this one included!
Drawing History: Ancient Egypt by Elaine Raphael
This is a really cool book, especially for the young artist! The book gives instructions on how to draw various objects and scenes from Ancient Egypt, then gives a brief explanation about the item or scene. What a cool way to learn history!
Adventures in Ancient Egypt by Linda Bailey
This is a fun fictional story about three young children who time-travel to Ancient Egypt. They learn about all kinds of things while they are there, like the way the Nile River flooded, Ancient Egyptian homes, food, and clothing, schools and entertainment in Ancient Egypt, how Ancient Egyptian pyramids were built, and lots more! The storyline is entertaining and the book if full of interesting facts!
Mummy Cat by Marcus Ewert
This is a fun fictional story book about the mummy of the pet cat of Queen Hatshepsut who is waiting for his queen to wake. The story is a neat introduction to the role of cats in Ancient Egypt and it includes lots of little details to pique a child’s curiosity. A light and enjoyable read that is suitable for preschool and up!
Egyptian Gods and Goddesses by Henry Barker
This is a super simple reader about Egyptian gods. Great for the budding reader who would like to study Ancient Egypt on his own!
I hope you enjoyed this collection of books on ancient Egypt for kids! Thank you for visiting! Feel free to check out my other children’s book lists for more of our favorite books!
