SuitabookThere’s a Pharaoh in our Bath!
Jeremy Strong
- Reading
- Try reading a chapter at a time, pausing to identify which details are factual Ancient Egyptian references and which belong to the fantasy. Invite the child to explain why the situation is funny.
- Themes
- Hospitality towards the unexpected: The Lightspeed family takes in Sennapod, an ancient pharaoh, after Tony brings him home; the family is accustomed to Tony bringing home animals needing help. The book’s stance on this remains unclear.
- Humour through the impossible: A revived pharaoh, an ice-cream van man and a household accustomed to unexpected animals place an impossible event inside an everyday family setting. The book presents this favourably.
- Ancient Egypt through fantasy: The story features an ancient Egyptian pharaoh and has been used alongside learning about Ancient Egypt. The book appears to introduce Ancient Egyptian references within a comic fantasy rather than present a full factual account; its educational angle is therefore supplementary and imaginative.
- Worth knowing
- Some children may want to discuss the contrast between a supposedly dead pharaoh returning to life and the story’s comic treatment of the situation. Grave robbers and a misread spell add mild suspense.