What a feast for the eyes! This is a stunning, large-format, coffee-table book that is absolutely thrilling in its elegant design and flamboyant colour, with its sturdy flaps and incredible reveals.

Egyptomania begins by describing the beginning of civilisation along the River Nile five thousand years ago and the way the calendar was planned around the river’s regular flooding each year. It describes the crops and food sources of the Egyptian people, their daily lives and different roles in society. We learn about the development of the pharaohs, the numerous gods, and the embalming process. We are shown the latest research on how the pyramids were made and why their shape changed over time. We discover Egyptians’ strong belief in the afterlife and their ritual of weighing the heart. There are also many hieroglyphics to explore.

Information is presented in short paragraphs with accompanying illustrations. Flaps throughout the book lift to reveal more details, such as the intricately decorated sarcophagus that opens to reveal text and another detailed illustration, which opens again to reveal a mummified body covered in symbols.

In a spectacular testament to the unforgettable Egyptians, this book brings history to brilliant life and will turn even the most disinterested reader into an Egyptomaniac. This is a must-have book for history fans, Egyptologists and lovers of art and design aged 6–100.

Angela Crocombe is the shop mananger at Readings Kids.