Determined to get a good view of the royal parade, "egg boy" Humpty Dumpty perches on top of a brick wall. But when Humpty loses his balance and topples through the roof of the king's carriage, it's up to shy King Moe to put all of Humpty's pieces together again. Collage art makes this slight tale visually interesting but doesn't make up for a forced and awkward rhyme scheme in the text.

Gr 1-3--Milton introduces emerging readers to the pyramids, the life-after-death beliefs of ancient Egyptians, the process of mummification, and the burial procedure for pharaohs. The straightforward text is enhanced by an attractive layout and eye-catching, cut-paper illustrations. Realistic shadows give added depth to the scenes. Unfortunately, the author does not explain when pharaohs began and stopped building pyramids and when modern adventurers and archaeologists began exploring and studying these historical artifacts. Despite this criticism, this book will be a springboard for many students who will want more information about this topic. Be sure to have copies of these books on hand: David Macaulay's Pyramid (Houghton, 1975), Aliki's Mummies Made in Egypt (HarperCollins, 1979), Margaret Berrill's Mummies, Masks, and Mourners (Dutton, 1990), and Nicholas Reeves's Into the Mummy's Tomb (Scholastic, 1992). Mummies is sure to be popular with budding Egyptologists and beginning readers who want "real stories."--Gale W. Sherman, Pocatello Public Library, ID