Synopses & Reviews
Popular author Tony Johnston's second novel follows a mummy boy from the pyramids of Egypt to a famous museum in New York City as he searches for his mummy mom in this clever, funny book.
A young mummy boy named Ramose is awakened one day by the sound of graverobbers invading his home--the pharoah's tomb. They've stolen his mother (who's also a mummy) and now it's up to Ramose to find her. With the help of a cranky talking camel and some young American tourists, Ramose finds himself en route to NYC--home of an important museum and its famous collection of mummies. Full of offbeat, witty scenes, this is a fresh and original novel with great appeal.
Johnston's ANY SMALL GOODNESS also recently received the Judy Lopez Honor Book Award.
Review
School Library Journal
(October 1, 2003; 0-439-32462-9)
Gr 4-6-Meet Ramose, 4000-year-old boy mummy. His mother has just been stolen by grave robbers, and he is determined to find her. He leaves his sacred tomb, finds a talking camel, and is off on the grandest adventure of his "life." He arrives at the port city to see his mother being taken aboard a cruise ship, follows her on board, meets up with a group of rich boarding-school boys on a trip to Egypt, and makes friends. They agree to help Ramose find his mother, if he will win the Ping-Pong tournament for them. The story progresses in this silly manner, leading the protagonist to New York City and the museum where his mother is held captive. A daring rescue involving pigeons rounds out this unusual tale. Johnston has managed to make Ramose fit in, even though he is a mummy covered in rags, creating an interesting and likable character. Using wordplay and Ramose's misunderstanding of the modern world, the book is more outlandish than funny, but may appeal to a fourth-grader's sense of humor. Light and fluffy, this story might be just the ticket for reluctant readers.-Angela J. Reynolds, Washington County Cooperative Library Services, Hillsboro, OR Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
About the Author
Tony Johnston is the author of nearly 100 picture books and early readers, including The Iguana Brothers, illustrated by Mark Teague. Her first novel, Any Small Goodness: A Novel of the Barrio, was named an NCTE Notable Children's Book in the Language Arts, an IRA Notable Book for a Global Security, and a Judy Lopez Memorial Honor Book. It was also awarded the first annual Southern California Booksellers' Association Children's Book Award. Ms. Johnston lives in California with her husband.