Mummies, Masks, and Mourners: 2 (Time Detectives)

Discusses funeral rites practiced in the past in different parts of the world and how through archaeologists we have come to know about them.

Grade 4-7-- While nothing is examined in depth in either of these books, the two-to three - page chapters are notable for clear writing and excellent illustrative material, including many color photographs. These are particularly effective in Mummies, Masks , & Mourners , in which readers will find numerous pictures of objects excavated from graves around the world. Berrill unifies the material covering funeral customs and beliefs about the afterlife in societies as diverse as 17th-century England and prehistoric Turkey. For young people who wish to learn about archeology, this is a good choice; Lauber's Tales Mummies Tell (Crowell, 1985) offers a more detailed treatment of mummies. Explorers & Mapmakers also has excellent illustrations and photographs, but fails to impart a unifying theme to its subject. Many well-known expeditions, such as James Cook's explorations of the Pacific and John Speke's trek to the source of the Nile, are mentioned. None are explained adequately in their historical context, and so tend to be disjointed and confusing. There are a few reproductions of maps (one especially good one from the 15th century that helped establish the fact of a Viking presence in North America predating Columbus), but there are not enough. This book could be useful as an introduction to both mapmaking and exploration when combined with books that treat particular explorers and expeditions in more depth. --David N. Pauli, Northern Waters Library Service, Ashland, WI
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