Life in Ancient China

by Paul Challen

Published 20 October 2004
Ages 8 to 14 years. Ancient China gave the world paper, a counting machine called an abacus, Kung Fu, and many other interesting inventions. Chinese society is one of the oldest on earth. Children will delight in learning about the Emperor's Forbidden City, the feuding dynasties, and Ancient Chinese thinker Confucius. Topics include: The Yellow River, Taklamankan Desert, and Mount Everest; The construction of the Great Wall; How the ancient Chinese farmed and made food; What a Chinese "dynasty" was; Ancient Chinese games and pastimes.

Life in Ancient Egypt

by Paul Challen

Published 20 November 2004
Ages 8 to 14 years. The Egyptian civilisation is one of the oldest in human history. Travel back in time to see how the Ancient Egyptians built magnificent pyramids, developed a system of writing, harnessed the Nile River for agriculture and made their own medicine. Children will love the full-colour illustrations of ancient Egyptian life that explain how people really lived long ago. Topics include: How mummies were made and buried; The afterlife and ancient Egyptian gods and goddesses; How ancient Egyptians farmed and what they ate; Ancient Egyptian art and architecture; Hieroglyphs and how to interpret them.