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Tutankhamun
After thirty-two centuries of lying hidden in the Egyptian Valley of the Kings, King Tutankhamun’s sacred, royal tomb was discovered by a British archaeologist, and Tut’s story became known throughout the world. Demi sets King Tutankhamun’s life in the context of the religious beliefs of his ancestors. Born to a pharaoh who had the revolutionary idea that all of Egypt must worship only one god, Tut ascended the throne and restored religious freedom to the Upper and Lower kingdoms. He allowed his subjects to worship either the one god, Aten, of his father or the many shapes and forms of the sun god, Amun, whom they had worshiped since ancient times. Using research that includes the artifacts in King Tutankhamun’s tomb, Demi shares the rich details of the king’s life, from ostrich to lion hunts, to the challenges of ruling his Kingdom. Demi’s storytelling skills and magnificent artwork, inspired by Egyptian line in paintings, architecture, sculpture, and jewelry, reveal the life of a remarkable king who has been watching us "across a span of more than 3,000 years."
64 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
7 people are currently reading
107 people want to read
About the author
Demi
181 books179 followersDemi (September 2, 1942) born Charlotte Dumaresq Hunt, is an award-winning children’s book author and illustrator. During her career she has published over 300 titles.
Demi was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She is the great-grand daughter of the American painter William Morris Hunt, and the great-grand niece of architect Richard Morris Hunt. Demi earned her nickname as a young child when her father started calling her demi because she was half the size of her sister.
She studied art at Instituto Allende, Mexico, and with Sister Corita at the Immaculate Heart College in Los Angeles. She was a Fulbright scholar at the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, India where she received her Master’s degree.
Demi is known for her biographies for spiritual figures including Buddha, Krishna, Lao Tzu, Jesus, Mary (mother of Jesus), Muhammad, Rumi, Francis of Assisi, Gandhi, and the Dalai Lama.
In 1990, Demi and her husband Tze-si “Jesse” Huang represented the United States at the First Children’s International Book Conference in Beijing.
Source: Wikipedia
Demi was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She is the great-grand daughter of the American painter William Morris Hunt, and the great-grand niece of architect Richard Morris Hunt. Demi earned her nickname as a young child when her father started calling her demi because she was half the size of her sister.
She studied art at Instituto Allende, Mexico, and with Sister Corita at the Immaculate Heart College in Los Angeles. She was a Fulbright scholar at the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, India where she received her Master’s degree.
Demi is known for her biographies for spiritual figures including Buddha, Krishna, Lao Tzu, Jesus, Mary (mother of Jesus), Muhammad, Rumi, Francis of Assisi, Gandhi, and the Dalai Lama.
In 1990, Demi and her husband Tze-si “Jesse” Huang represented the United States at the First Children’s International Book Conference in Beijing.
Source: Wikipedia
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
May 14, 2012
Demi's artwork is gorgeous. She is so talented! I'm a huge fan. There, got that out of the way ;-)
Truly, though, her work does shine here. The gold she favors is many of her illustrations is especially suited here to the ancient Egyptian style and fits perfectly with the worship of the sun god and with a young king's legacy.
I found the story really fascinating. I didn't really know anything much about "King Tut" going into this. I hadn't realized he was so young!!! I kept having to do a double-take because I would think so many years had passed, or that he would have to be much older, but he was already married and making important changes as ruler at age twelve! And he only lived to be nineteen years old. I mean, I know people "grew up" a lot faster back then, but it was still amazing he is so memorable yet had such a short life. Some of the information is conjecture, but Demi read a variety of sources and followed the information most commonly found.
I had no idea about the rivalries in the worship of the sun god (Tut's father, King Akhenaten left his palace at Luxor and sailed 200 miles north on the Nile to make a new city, Amarna, for himself and his one god, Aten--yet others, like Horemheb, commander of the army, still worshipped Amun-- the sun god worshiped in many forms and which Tut's father had rejected). When Tut's father died and Tut became ruler, Horemheb was one of the regents and he and Ay the other regent (loyal to Aten) struggled for control. It was, therefore, quite an accomplishment when Tut (seemingly harmoniously) finally took full power and allowed people worship of both Aten and Amun for the remainder of his short life. The political and religious power struggle continued, though, upon his death and led to his death and burial being very hushed-up by Ay. But Ay didn't live long, either, and then Horemheb took control and destroyed everything relating to Tut's family and to Aten including tombs, statutes, etc. But he had no idea where King Tut was buried and thus it was such a huge deal when King Tut's tomb was found in 1922 completely in tact.
Ancient Egypt has always fascinated me. I find many of their religious beliefs fascinating, their art is beautiful, it was such a rich culture--though not without problems. As a kid, I remember the artwork seemed so surreal--they were humans, of course, but they didn't look like humans do today, or in most other historical artwork. It was almost mythical, or alien, yet it was real! Today, on the one hand I am grateful that we have learned so much about the culture from archaeologists and anthropologists and all the excavations. Yet a part of me remains uncomfortable with the desecration of the tombs.
In any case, Demi's book inspired me to read more about King Tut and seems a fine introduction for the older picture book crowd.
Truly, though, her work does shine here. The gold she favors is many of her illustrations is especially suited here to the ancient Egyptian style and fits perfectly with the worship of the sun god and with a young king's legacy.
I found the story really fascinating. I didn't really know anything much about "King Tut" going into this. I hadn't realized he was so young!!! I kept having to do a double-take because I would think so many years had passed, or that he would have to be much older, but he was already married and making important changes as ruler at age twelve! And he only lived to be nineteen years old. I mean, I know people "grew up" a lot faster back then, but it was still amazing he is so memorable yet had such a short life. Some of the information is conjecture, but Demi read a variety of sources and followed the information most commonly found.
I had no idea about the rivalries in the worship of the sun god (Tut's father, King Akhenaten left his palace at Luxor and sailed 200 miles north on the Nile to make a new city, Amarna, for himself and his one god, Aten--yet others, like Horemheb, commander of the army, still worshipped Amun-- the sun god worshiped in many forms and which Tut's father had rejected). When Tut's father died and Tut became ruler, Horemheb was one of the regents and he and Ay the other regent (loyal to Aten) struggled for control. It was, therefore, quite an accomplishment when Tut (seemingly harmoniously) finally took full power and allowed people worship of both Aten and Amun for the remainder of his short life. The political and religious power struggle continued, though, upon his death and led to his death and burial being very hushed-up by Ay. But Ay didn't live long, either, and then Horemheb took control and destroyed everything relating to Tut's family and to Aten including tombs, statutes, etc. But he had no idea where King Tut was buried and thus it was such a huge deal when King Tut's tomb was found in 1922 completely in tact.
Ancient Egypt has always fascinated me. I find many of their religious beliefs fascinating, their art is beautiful, it was such a rich culture--though not without problems. As a kid, I remember the artwork seemed so surreal--they were humans, of course, but they didn't look like humans do today, or in most other historical artwork. It was almost mythical, or alien, yet it was real! Today, on the one hand I am grateful that we have learned so much about the culture from archaeologists and anthropologists and all the excavations. Yet a part of me remains uncomfortable with the desecration of the tombs.
In any case, Demi's book inspired me to read more about King Tut and seems a fine introduction for the older picture book crowd.
January 15, 2010
The illustrations are vibrant and intricate; there’s a lot of detail on every page to peruse; I would have loved pouring over the pictures when I was a kid because there’s so much to view. I’m not sure I’d find this art stile aesthetically pleasing if the subject had been different, but here it works perfectly. Illustrations of a gorgeous family tree and a map of the area are included toward the back of the book. I found the hunting scenes, especially of the lions, and the battle scenes difficult to view, although their stylized presentation made them not too graphically violent, I suppose.
The information is certainly told in an interesting way. I knew a bit about King Tut because I’ve seen art exhibits at a San Francisco museum and a World’s Fair, but those events were decades ago, so I learned/relearned a lot of details about Tut’s life, his family history, the era’s religious beliefs and political intrigues. I wondered how the author/illustrator would handle the dilemma of what is not known; she says she “used the information that most sources accepted” and I was impressed with that.
This would make a good book as an adjunct for the study of Egyptian history and of King Tut, and also could be used for discussions about the similarities and differences between the peoples and cultures of ancient Egypt and those today.
The information is certainly told in an interesting way. I knew a bit about King Tut because I’ve seen art exhibits at a San Francisco museum and a World’s Fair, but those events were decades ago, so I learned/relearned a lot of details about Tut’s life, his family history, the era’s religious beliefs and political intrigues. I wondered how the author/illustrator would handle the dilemma of what is not known; she says she “used the information that most sources accepted” and I was impressed with that.
This would make a good book as an adjunct for the study of Egyptian history and of King Tut, and also could be used for discussions about the similarities and differences between the peoples and cultures of ancient Egypt and those today.
March 23, 2014
I like drawings. And when tutankhamun came alive.i hate when Amarna got destroyed.
February 7, 2018
Gorgeous artwork with vibrant colors and shimmering gold but a convoluted story that’s difficult to follow, beginning with the stories of King Thutmose IV, gods Aten and Amun, and King Akhenaten before Tutankhamun is finally introduced on page 9. That said, the end pages and opening panel are magnificent works of art, displaying Demi’s singular artistic talent.
February 12, 2021
I love Demi's artwork and love reading these biographical gems to my kids. But, unfortunately, this story fell short of Demi's typical storyline. I thought there was just too much crammed into the book and it was a little difficult to follow with all the different characters and former Kings who were introduced.
August 8, 2021
As always Demi's illustrations are captivating. The text seemed somewhat hollow though. I wish that Demi could have found some information about Tutankhamun or Egypt at that time would have been of special interest to kids.
August 12, 2018
Very good bio of Tutankhamen (or Tutankhaten as I learned) with striking Egyptian style artwork. Take the story a bit further than Steve Martin’s King Tut.
March 25, 2024
The artwork is exquisite. Such amazing artwork. Demi gets the Egyptian style perfectly. Each page could be framed artwork.
The story seemed rather dry to me. It wasn't much of a story really, it felt more like a lecture on what happened in the past. There was no character work, no really dialogue. It was just a historical account of what happened - interesting, but not very engaging. The artwork did all the work.
I did learn several thing. I was not aware of this line of Kings. I have heard all these names, and I've confused them all together thinking they were the same person. The genealogy chart helped me.
Thutmose IV was the great grandfather
Antenhotep III was the grandfather (I've heard a lot about him)
Akenaten was the father (I've heard much about him and confused him and Antenhotep together.)
Tutankhamun was the child who died young and was found in the Valley of the Kings.
In the succession war after, the army office tried to erase all the information about this line of kings from history, but he couldn't find the Tomb of Tutankhamun which is how we know all this information.
Akenaten went against religion. Most worshipped Amun Ra and Akenaten would only worship Aten Ra. So it set up this war of factions in the kingdom. Things might have gone differently if Tutankhamun lived long enough, but he died early of something.
A very interesting read. Anyone interested in Egyptian history, this is a great starter book.
The story seemed rather dry to me. It wasn't much of a story really, it felt more like a lecture on what happened in the past. There was no character work, no really dialogue. It was just a historical account of what happened - interesting, but not very engaging. The artwork did all the work.
I did learn several thing. I was not aware of this line of Kings. I have heard all these names, and I've confused them all together thinking they were the same person. The genealogy chart helped me.
Thutmose IV was the great grandfather
Antenhotep III was the grandfather (I've heard a lot about him)
Akenaten was the father (I've heard much about him and confused him and Antenhotep together.)
Tutankhamun was the child who died young and was found in the Valley of the Kings.
In the succession war after, the army office tried to erase all the information about this line of kings from history, but he couldn't find the Tomb of Tutankhamun which is how we know all this information.
Akenaten went against religion. Most worshipped Amun Ra and Akenaten would only worship Aten Ra. So it set up this war of factions in the kingdom. Things might have gone differently if Tutankhamun lived long enough, but he died early of something.
A very interesting read. Anyone interested in Egyptian history, this is a great starter book.
December 8, 2025
Opening and synopsis: ”King Thutmose IV, who ruled from 1419 to 1386 BCE, was the great-grandfather of King Tutankhamun. As a young prince, Thutmose IV had many brothers and half-brothers who wanted to seize the throne.”
Illustrated with stunning images, this book places King Tut in his cultural and religious context. Demi tells of Tut’s ancestors, his life and tomb. Tut emerged as pharaoh at an interesting time in history. Inspired by Thutmose IV’s vision, Tut’s father, Akhenaten, did away with worship of traditional Egyptian gods in favor of monotheism. When Tut came to power, political strife ensued as two regents wrestled for control. After Tut’s death, his ultimate successor tried to erase Tut’s family from history forever. But he couldn’t destroy Tut’s hidden tomb.
Why I like this book: As obsessed as my three-year-old is with mummies, we actually knew little about King Tut’s life. Although the story line is far too advanced for preschoolers, Demi’s images can be appreciated by all ages. She’s gilded many of the images, conveying the wealth of ancient Egypt and the pharaohs.
Illustrated with stunning images, this book places King Tut in his cultural and religious context. Demi tells of Tut’s ancestors, his life and tomb. Tut emerged as pharaoh at an interesting time in history. Inspired by Thutmose IV’s vision, Tut’s father, Akhenaten, did away with worship of traditional Egyptian gods in favor of monotheism. When Tut came to power, political strife ensued as two regents wrestled for control. After Tut’s death, his ultimate successor tried to erase Tut’s family from history forever. But he couldn’t destroy Tut’s hidden tomb.
Why I like this book: As obsessed as my three-year-old is with mummies, we actually knew little about King Tut’s life. Although the story line is far too advanced for preschoolers, Demi’s images can be appreciated by all ages. She’s gilded many of the images, conveying the wealth of ancient Egypt and the pharaohs.
June 15, 2024
Boring, long, but still not satisfying. I feel as if I'm wondering why I should care about this part of history. No context, only one brief mention that the boy learned "late Egyptian." Lots of scenes that should have blood and agony but don't; they're just as pretty as anything else by Demi. At least there's an introductory author's note about sources.
Read
May 24, 2017The illustrations really make this book.
August 31, 2020
Lovely artwork and a good story to go with it.
March 20, 2021
Beautifully illustrated.
August 22, 2021
Good read!
Great illustrations! The images made the characters come alive. Great for visual learners. A great addition to your library if you are a fan of Egyptian mysteries.
Great illustrations! The images made the characters come alive. Great for visual learners. A great addition to your library if you are a fan of Egyptian mysteries.
April 1, 2015
I have yet to be disappointed by Demi's work. She distills key points of the subject's life into relatable and comprehensable prose for young readers. She embellishes the prose with artwork that is true to the culture of the subject. Her trademark is the ample use of gold, giving her work a shimmering quality.
I love what I can learn from her books. In this work I learned about the two sun gods: Amun and Aten and the controversy between them. I learned how the boy king's great grandfather came to power, aboaut his grandfather, and how his own father came to be unpopular. I appreciated the illustrated family tree that shows at a glance that his father was the husband of the famed beauty Nefertiti, who had six daughters and no sons. The boy king's own mother was a lesser wife. He married a half-sister, the youngest of Nefertiti's children. I learned about the power struggle between his two guardians upon his father's sudden death, one of whom was his wife's grandfather. I learned how his tomb survived the political intrigues of the ages, only to be located some 3,000 years later.
Fascinating.
I love what I can learn from her books. In this work I learned about the two sun gods: Amun and Aten and the controversy between them. I learned how the boy king's great grandfather came to power, aboaut his grandfather, and how his own father came to be unpopular. I appreciated the illustrated family tree that shows at a glance that his father was the husband of the famed beauty Nefertiti, who had six daughters and no sons. The boy king's own mother was a lesser wife. He married a half-sister, the youngest of Nefertiti's children. I learned about the power struggle between his two guardians upon his father's sudden death, one of whom was his wife's grandfather. I learned how his tomb survived the political intrigues of the ages, only to be located some 3,000 years later.
Fascinating.
September 20, 2012
Opening and synopsis: ”King Thutmose IV, who ruled from 1419 to 1386 BCE, was the great-grandfather of King Tutankhamun. As a young prince, Thutmose IV had many brothers and half-brothers who wanted to seize the throne.”
Illustrated with stunning images, this book places King Tut in his cultural and religious context. Demi tells of Tut’s ancestors, his life and tomb. Tut emerged as pharaoh at an interesting time in history. Inspired by Thutmose IV’s vision, Tut’s father, Akhenaten, did away with worship of traditional Egyptian gods in favor of monotheism. When Tut came to power, political strife ensued as two regents wrestled for control. After Tut’s death, his ultimate successor tried to erase Tut’s family from history forever. But he couldn’t destroy Tut’s hidden tomb.
Why I like this book: As obsessed as my three-year-old is with mummies, we actually knew little about King Tut’s life. Although the story line is far too advanced for preschoolers, Demi’s images can be appreciated by all ages. She’s gilded many of the images, conveying the wealth of ancient Egypt and the pharaohs.
Illustrated with stunning images, this book places King Tut in his cultural and religious context. Demi tells of Tut’s ancestors, his life and tomb. Tut emerged as pharaoh at an interesting time in history. Inspired by Thutmose IV’s vision, Tut’s father, Akhenaten, did away with worship of traditional Egyptian gods in favor of monotheism. When Tut came to power, political strife ensued as two regents wrestled for control. After Tut’s death, his ultimate successor tried to erase Tut’s family from history forever. But he couldn’t destroy Tut’s hidden tomb.
Why I like this book: As obsessed as my three-year-old is with mummies, we actually knew little about King Tut’s life. Although the story line is far too advanced for preschoolers, Demi’s images can be appreciated by all ages. She’s gilded many of the images, conveying the wealth of ancient Egypt and the pharaohs.
August 23, 2013
Picture book ARC review:
Illustrations are the real pleasure in this bio of King Tutankhamun. Demi's work is colorful, lush, awash in bright contrasts. It brings the spirit of Egypt's culture to life. As for the narrative, you will learn the basics about the young prince's life, how the loyalty of the man who hid his burial site insured the young king's fame, and how politics and family intrigue swirled around him throughout his short life.
Tut's father endorsed a new sun god, Aten, and abandoned the old one, Amun, but changing gods isn't as simple as all that, and the hard feelings and anger would smolder beneath court life and ultimately affect Tut personally. Showing deft leadership skills at a young age, Tutankhamun adopted his name to once again acknowledge Amun after his father's death (Tut's original name was Tutankhaten -- note the name of Daddy's new god at the end).
Alas, Tut's mysterious death gives credence to the belief that compromise wasn't enough to save him from his enemies. Overall, a beautiful addition to any young mummy enthusiast's library.
Illustrations are the real pleasure in this bio of King Tutankhamun. Demi's work is colorful, lush, awash in bright contrasts. It brings the spirit of Egypt's culture to life. As for the narrative, you will learn the basics about the young prince's life, how the loyalty of the man who hid his burial site insured the young king's fame, and how politics and family intrigue swirled around him throughout his short life.
Tut's father endorsed a new sun god, Aten, and abandoned the old one, Amun, but changing gods isn't as simple as all that, and the hard feelings and anger would smolder beneath court life and ultimately affect Tut personally. Showing deft leadership skills at a young age, Tutankhamun adopted his name to once again acknowledge Amun after his father's death (Tut's original name was Tutankhaten -- note the name of Daddy's new god at the end).
Alas, Tut's mysterious death gives credence to the belief that compromise wasn't enough to save him from his enemies. Overall, a beautiful addition to any young mummy enthusiast's library.
September 11, 2013
Demi is one the greatest children's writers out there. She mainly concentrates on famous historical figures or classic tales fron foreign lands. Tutankhamen is another one of those classic books. It has her classic artwork and writing. Always well reasearched and the illustrations represent the culture and time period, Tutankhamun tells a clear story of King Tut in a way I've never known. The royal intrigue and battle between regents are new to me. I heard that Tut might have died in a chariot accident after a broken leg and that he had a serious form of malaria that affected his bones. The murder is a theory that is widely discounted. This is an absorbing story that is more meaningful to older elementary kids and helpful to students learning English. A great book.
November 5, 2013
Not only is Demi a gifted illustrator, but she is also a skillful children's story-teller; she introduces the religious shifts of the time, shares details of Tutankhamun's childhood and family life, developing his character for young readers, and follows through with his story until the discovery of his tomb in the 20th century, all in a narrative that develops the reader's interest and curiosity.
The young king's admirable efforts to make peace through freedom of worship plays well against the power-hungry motives of his guardians. This good-guy vs bad guys theme is commonly seen in children's stories.
Demi's twist is the introduction of the true hero of this story; through loyalty to his king, he ensures the legacy of Tutankhamun's family, giving us a gift across the centuries
The young king's admirable efforts to make peace through freedom of worship plays well against the power-hungry motives of his guardians. This good-guy vs bad guys theme is commonly seen in children's stories.
Demi's twist is the introduction of the true hero of this story; through loyalty to his king, he ensures the legacy of Tutankhamun's family, giving us a gift across the centuries
February 19, 2010
This is the sort of subject that Demi excels at. You could spend hours pouring over the details of the pictures, the tiny exquisitely rendered hieroglyphics, the gold embossing. Better still, the story is well told and compelling. Another master work by one of the true stars of the children's book world.
April 9, 2010
Beautiful illustrations together with spare text that gives the reader a lot of information make this a good book for those either with a general interest in ancient Egypt, but also enough to make it a good starting point for those interested in more research on King Tut.
January 3, 2017
We love Demi's books, most of which feature lush and golden illustrations. Ancient Egypt is always a popular topic in our home, both for their fascinating history, as well as their beautiful and enchanting designs and motifs. Good book.
May 24, 2010
Great illustrations with a flourish of gold on each page, but textually not engaging.
June 27, 2011
Illustrations beg the reader to touch. Includes map, genealogy.
Want to read
May 25, 2012Available at Carlos Museum Bookshop -
http://carlos.emory.edu/bookshop
http://carlos.emory.edu/bookshop
February 3, 2014
Highly informative, with stunning illustrations!
February 20, 2014
The illustrations are beautiful. The storytelling is flat and boring.
October 10, 2014
Nice artwork.
The story itself doesn't feel right. The info doesn't match what scholars and experts say.
The story itself doesn't feel right. The info doesn't match what scholars and experts say.
February 26, 2015
excellent book
July 13, 2016
Simplistic writing with illustrations which are so vivid and beautiful that the book earns 5 stars for them. This is a perfect book to keep at home for an intro to Tut.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews