The Ancient Egyptian Mummy by Joyce Tyldesley (Carlton Publishing)

When your little girl shows a keen interest in history, and in Egyptology in particular, each library visit becomes a real joy as you hunt out the rich non-fiction books devoted to the subject. We've been looking at various history books designed for children but this one is a fascinating book for young and old.

Joyce Tyldesley's "The Ancient Egyptian Mummy" is a big fat hard-backed book absolutely chock full of fascinating facts about mummies (no not the gorgeous flame-haired variety, the muslin-wrapped stinky mouldy ones!)

Broken down into sections detailing Egyptian history and how the mummification process evolved and improved (and, if you ask Charlotte, got steadily more icky and gruesome as aeons passed), this is a treasure trove of amazing facts charting most of the major finds during "Mummy-mania" and even delving into the fantasy realm of Hollywood to show off some of my favourite movie mummies.

Sumptuously illustrated throughout with diagrams, photos and plans, this is a weighty tome and a fascinating glimpse into mummies. Only word of warning is that some of the imagery can be a little gruesome for younger children, but definitely nothing too graphic or yucky.


Charlotte's best bit: The mummies' toes (she's fascinated by a Mummy in the Pitt Rivers Museum that has two toes on display!)

Daddy's Favourite bit: A fantastic weighty tome full of mummified goodies to peruse and puzzle over.