The Cat Pharaoh thought for a moment.
‘Well then, thieves, I have a task for you,’ she said. ‘In distant Karnak lies the Palace of the Crocodile Prince. Go there and bring back the golden Jewel Fish that the Crocodile took from me. If you do this, I will pardon you.”In Ancient Egypt Jackal and Iris are in trouble. They’ve been caught stealing from the town market. They beg the Pharaoh for mercy and she sets them a task: steal back her stolen Jewel Fish and she will pardon them. But the pair are warned: keep the fish dry, and do not steal anything else. Unfortunately, the pair do not follow instructions, and their greediness lands them in more trouble. Only the reader can help them by locating the Jewel Fish.
The Jewel Fish of Karnakis a sumptuous hard cover picture puzzle book from bestselling author/illustrator Graeme Base. With Bases’s signature illustrative style – lots of detail, quirky characters and rich colours – and a mystery to solve, there is lots to keep readers interested. At the end of the story the reader is invited to become involved by finding the clues to figure out where the missing Jewel Fish is. In the back cover of the book there is a Jewel Fish mechanisim used to solve the msytery and work out what the fish looks like, and the wrap around cover includes a fold out map filled with facts about Ancient Egypt.
Whilst younger children will findt the book visually appealing, it is school aged children who will be likely to be able to decipher the mystery. If unable, they will find clues online on a dedicated website.
Fabulous.
The Jewel Fish of Karnak, by Graeme Base
Penguin, 2011
ISBN 9780670074679
This book is available in good bookstores or online from Fishpond.