IMHOTEP OF ANCIENT KEMET

This illustrated children’s book offers a biography of a famous architect and doctor and places his and Egypt’s legacies in the context of African history.

Imhotep was born and raised in ancient Kemet, a nation that would one day become Egypt. The child of an architect, Imhotep was curious at a young age and constructed small mastabas, precursors to pyramids, modeled after the one his father built. Even as a youngster, Imhotep began making advances, challenging contemporary thought about structure and materials. Aire’s tale follows Imhotep from childhood to his later years as he rose to the position of vizier to King Djoser. Most of the details about the architect’s life focus on science, but other elements depict the common belief in Egyptian deities, such as crediting Imhotep with solving a flood problem by recognizing a god’s anger that his temple had been ill cared for. Much of Aire’s solid biography is told in simple sentences with accessible vocabulary complemented by a glossary and pronunciation guide in the opening pages. In the end pages, the author provides denser descriptions of Imhotep’s accomplishments and how the polymath shaped Egyptian civilization with his progressive techniques in architecture, medicine, and writing. Further discussion of Egypt’s history situates the civilization in context with the people of ancient Nubia as well as the Middle East. Vera and Kyrpenko’s detailed illustrations portray a diverse Kemet, with people of many different skin colors sharing the same civilization and culture. The digital paintings show the hairstyles and clothing frequently depicted in hieroglyphics, grounding the child-friendly style in history. Most pages feature Imhotep’s cat for children to find in the background, enticing young lap readers to stay focused on the images while their parents read the text aloud. Imhotep’s natural curiosity and childlike questions should resonate with young readers, and Aire’s lyrical prose (“The people were desperate for food, water, and hope”) is likely to appeal to adults, especially with repeated readings. Older independent readers, especially those who love ancient Egypt, are sure to gain a new perspective by following this historical figure.

An illuminating account of an early genius.