The Great Pyramid

By Elizabeth Mann

Book Overview

Nearly 50 stories high, The Great Pyramid was built more than 4,500 years ago, made from over 2,300,00 giant stone blocks and constructed by primitive farmers. Some believe aliens from outer space created it, but the true story of the Great Pyramid is even more fascinating than the speculation.

A nation of farmers living on the green edge of a harsh desert had a king who was a god in life and death. Tens of thousands of farmers left their homes each year to chisel hard stone without iron tools and move 10-ton blocks up steep grades without the use of a wheel.

Elizabeth Mann captures the marvel that is The Great Pyramid and the people that built it. She tells the story of a world that is strange, distant and yet poignantly human. In the process, The Great Pyramid and the Old Kingdom become more than dusty remnants of an ancient civilization; they come alive.

Laura Lo Turco's shimmering paintings are a perfect visual complement to the text, combining reality with a sense of awe and mystery. Photographs of haunting 4,500-year old walls and statues let Ancient Egypt remind the young reader that these people were indeed real.

Wonders of the World series

The winner of numerous awards, this series is renowned for Elizabeth Mann's ability to convey adventure and excitement while revealing technical information in engaging and easily understood language. The illustrations are lavishly realistic and accurate in detail but do not ignore the human element. Outstanding in the genre, these books are sure to bring even the most indifferent young reader into the worlds of history, geography, and architecture.

"One of the ten best non-fiction series for young readers."
- Booklist

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0965049310
• ISBN13: 9780965049313
• Release Date: September 1996
• Publisher: Mikaya Press
• Length: 48 Pages
• Weight: 1.28 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 10.2" x 10.5"
• Age Range: 9 to 13 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 8

Customer Reviews

Great intro to pyramids

We used this book in our homeschool studies of Ancient Egypt. This book is well written and nicely illustrated with a combination of vibrant watercolors and actual photographs. The middle of the book has a fold out panel that shows what the construction site of the Great Pyramid at Giza would have likely looked like. This book does a great job of explaining the spiritual significance of the pyramids as well as the changes in culture their construction brought to the Egyptian people. If you are looking for a book that explains exactly HOW the pyramids were built I higly suggest David Macaulay's book Pyramid. This amazing book uses hand drawn diagrams to explain how each level of the actual pyramid was built as well as the adjacent temples. AMAZING. While The Great Pyramid by Mann is easily understood by elementary students, they may need a little help understanding parts of Maculay's. The two books together provide a thorough understanding of these archaelogical wonders.