The Mystery of the Hieroglyphs - Hardcover

Carol Donoughue works at the Institute of Education in London. A teacher and school supervisor for many years, she has had a lifelong interest in the history and culture of ancient Egypt.

"Through this involving history of the Rosetta Stone, readers share the excitement of being able to translate hieroglyphics.... What makes this book so involving is that readers must do their own learning, translating, and reading of hieroglyphics as they travel through this history.... Graphic examples of concepts make them easy to grasp... There are some fascinating tidbits of information along the way.... Crisp color photos, reproductions, and sidebars enrich the text. An enticing volume."--School Library Journal (starred review)

"A picture-filled history of the decoding of Egyptian hieroglyphic writing... This fascinating story of historical and linguistic deduction is made clear and accessible.... The text is intelligent and thorough, and the many full-color photographs and drawings both add interest and help clarify difficult points."--Kirkus Reviews

"Readers are led through a historical account of Egyptian writing and its decoding, with helpful comparisons to the English language. The clear design uses illustrations of hieroglyphs that are integral to understanding how the mystery was solved."--The Horn Book Guide

"Attractive book... Clearly explains the subject in terms a child could understand.... Spacious in design, the pages include many illustrations, such as portraits, carvings, engravings, documents, artifacts, and drawings of hieroglyphs. Not only useful for reports on the subject, this book will intrigue children who enjoy codes and puzzles. An excellent introduction to the subject."--Booklist

"Middle and high school students will will find the book useful if doing research on hieroglyphs.... Recommended."--Book Report

"An entertaining narrative--complemented with numerous photographs, maps, historical timelines, a glossary, and sidebars--explains how the hieroglyphic writing system began and how the discovery of the Rosetta Stone helped break its code."--Books for Growing Minds