Over 4,000 years ago, in ancient Egypt, a young boy named Imhotep was born. From a young age, he excelled with the ability to see through difficult problems. He was often trying new techniques and experiments and quickly became known as a genius.

Through the life of this young boy, readers of "Imhotep of Ancient Kemet" enter a world of the scientists, priests, and artisans who served the king of ancient Egypt, one of whom was Imhotep’s father. Young Imhotep’s curiosity about his father’s building activities inspires the young polymath (priest, doctor, architect, scribe, politician, and more!) to experiment with his own building techniques.

As an architect, Imhotep designed the step pyramid at Sakkara--one of the most incredible structures created in ancient history. The step pyramid still stands strong today.

The book contains many explanations of Egyptian culture: the hieroglyphic script, religious practices, as well as words that may be unfamiliar to a young reader. Images on the end pages are taken from actual statues, papyrus texts, and temple and tomb decorations (erroneously called hieroglyphs), which the author asks the reader to find throughout the book. These features make the book an excellent and pleasurable teaching tool. Also appreciated are the endearing images of the pets of Imhotep, a black cat and King Djoser, his Basenji dogs.

The author, Nigerian-Canadian Ekiuwa Aire, has written a series of illustrated children’s books about African history and culture, each of which centers on an historical figure including Njinga, Sundjata, and Idia. Furthermore, enthusiastic parents and teachers can find teaching tools to accompany the books on her website. I give this book and its associated teaching tools five stars.