The story of farmers, the god-king and the most astounding structure ever built.

4,500 years ago, Egypt was a nation of farmers living on the thin, green edge of a harsh desert. Life was good. Food was plentiful. But starvation and chaos were just over the horizon.

Egyptians looked to their pharaoh for protection. A god while on earth, the pharaoh became even more powerful afterwards. When he died, his spirit joined the sun on its daily journey, assuring the natural order and protecting his people for eternity.

And so Egyptians built a passage to the heavens for the pharaoh, 50 stories of stone rising out of the desert, pointing to the sky.

4,500 years later, it still stands. It is the Great Pyramid of the pharaoh Khufu and this is its story.

Awards
Finalist - Children's Books of Distinction
The Hungry Mind Review

Reviews
"Mann does a wonderful job of entertaining young readers with fascinating stories of the history and evolution of the pyramids...She adds little details that make the faceless people who built the pyramids suddenly take on personalities...The text is enhanced by rich, detailed paintings and maps that bring the reader to Egypt and are mini-treasure troves of information all by themselves. Artist Laura Lo Turco has combined artistic ability with an eye for detail, further bringing the people who banded together to create the most magnificent tomb ever erected to vibrant life."

Small Press Magazine

"The full page paintings are stunning; touched with tones of gold and textures that reflect the desert setting. Captioned, full-color photographs of artifacts also enhance the well-written text."

Starred Review, School Library Journal

"The author excels at helping children understand unfamiliar ideas, adeptly shows the evolution of Egyptian burial customs and beliefs, and presents new facts based on the latest research."

Curriculum Administrator

"Mann conveys the stories as adventures without ever resorting to melodrama and explores the history and architecture of each structure in highly readable form...the stories are told in handsomely designed volumes with an enlivening combination of historical pictures, photographs and paintings."

Booklist
(Joint review for The Brooklyn Bridge and The Great Pyramid)