Mummy Cat



Last updated Friday, September 29, 2017

Author: Marcus Ewert
Illustrator: Lisa Brown
Date of Publication: 2015
ISBN: 0544340825
Grade Level: 2nd    (GLCs: Click here for grade level guidelines.)
Date(s) Used: Oct. 2017

Synopsis: Mummy Cat prowls his pyramid home, longing for his beloved owner. As he roams the tomb, lavish murals above his head display scenes of the cat with his young Egyptian queen, creating a story-within-a-story about the events of centuries past.

Note to readers:
•  Hat-shup-set was a rare female pharaoh - be sure to read the last 4 pages in the book!
•  Explain that a pyramid wasn't just a burial place but held all the important things they needed in the next life and their favorite possessions.

Discussion topics for before reading:
•  What is a mummy? What is a pharaoh?

Vocabulary

•  pharaoh - a ruler in ancient Egypt.
•  pyramid - a monumental structure with a square or triangular base and sloping sides that meet in a point at the top, especially one built of stone as a royal tomb in ancient Egypt.
•  russsstle (rustle) - make a soft, muffled crackling sound like that caused by the movement of dry leaves or paper.
•  Sphinx - 1) a great statue with the head of a human and body of a lion (or cat). 2) a winged monster of Thebes, having a woman's head and a lion's body.
•  scorpion - a terrestrial arachnid with lobsterlike pincers and a poisonous sting at the end of its jointed tail, which it can hold curved over the back. Most kinds live in tropical and subtropical areas.
•  Hieroglyphic- A system of writing that uses characters that looks like pictures (used in ancient Egypt)

Discussion topics for during/after reading:
•  Do you have any pets?
•  What favorite items would you put in a tomb?

Craft ideas:
•  Draw a picture of your pet. Cover it with strips of paper like a mummy.
•  Draw a picture of a tomb and add many of your favorite things.
•  Write your own story using hieroglyphs. Use the key in the back of the book for suggestions.
•  Check our craft ideas for October!
•  https://www.pinterest.com/readingtokids/october-2017-halloween-magic-monsters/

Special activities:
•  Go through the book and find the hieroglyphs and "translate" them using the key in the back of the book for the "story within the story".
•  Walk like a mummy

*Note: These craft ideas are just suggestions. You can use them, but you don't have to use them. You can expand upon them, or add your own twist. Remember, though, that the focus of your time should not be on the development and execution of a craft; the focus should be on the read-aloud and the enjoyment of the book!