This isn't exactly a graphic novel and it's not really a picture book. Illustrated nonfiction? We can go with that.

The book is divided into three parts; the life and death of Tutankhamun, the discovery of his grave by Howard Carter, and some final pages about continuing archeological research.

The book begins with an overview of the protagonists; the complicated family and ruling structure of Tutankhamun and the white archeologists who discovered his tomb. The first part gives a brief overview of the complex political structure of the time and then covers mummification as well as some Egyptian beliefs.

The largest part is the second section, which details the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb. Cleveland-Peck discusses the rivalry of various archeologists, the stormy relationship of Carter and his patron, the Earl of Carnarvon, and the world-changing discovery of the tomb. There are some brief notes that things like selling and keeping artifacts are no longer done, but there is little to no mention of the local Egyptians and their perspective on having their history dug up and sold.

The art is bright and stylized, mimicking the look of hieroglyphics. The Egyptians are shown with dark skin (I've seen some ridiculously white Egyptians, which is why I mention it).

Verdict: While this is certainly not a comprehensive discussion of ancient Egyptian history, or of the complex politics surrounding the extreme cultural appropriation and the Western craze with ancient Egypt, it's a light introduction for kids with plenty of illustrations and interesting writing. A good additional resource or starter book to get kids into Egyptian history.

ISBN: 9781681197128; Published August 2018 by Bloomsbury Children's Books; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

THE SECRETS OF TUTANKHAMUN by Patricia Cleveland-Peck tells the story of King Tut and how archaeologists drew conclusions from historical evidence.

This appealing informational text is told in three parts. After introducing the key people, the first section of the book takes readers back to Ancient Egypt, the second section explores the archaeological discoveries surrounding King Tut, and the final section speculates on current and future discoveries.

Librarians will find this visually attractive work of nonfiction appeals to a broad audience. By including information about the science of mummification along with the history and archaeology, the book easily crosses multiple interest and curriculum areas.

Published by Bloomsbury on August 21, 2018. ARC courtesy of the publisher. ( )

Feels scattershot when you've just read Cecilia Holland's "The Valley of the Kings". I guess Caecilia Holland's work was written so long ago that some of the conjectures about Tutankhamun's death have been undermined by new evidence, but boy did she bring it alive. This book can't manage that. ( )