I first read this about six years ago (time moves too quickly, it is scary and anxiety-inducing), and didn't think much of it. But now I've given it another chance - after reading another book in the same series, 'Kai and the Monkey King', founded purely by chance in a shop - and I think, "This is so cute, action-packed, and educational, and I adore the illustrations - this children's picture book and comic is art; a fantastical, mystical, whimsical, gods-and-goddesses gem."
'Marcy and the Riddle of the Sphinx' is about Ancient Egypt, and also about conquering your fears, and the determination to save your loved ones, no matter what lies ahead, and how afraid you are.
It is the sequel to the first book in the 'Brownstone's Mythical Collection' series, 'Arthur and the Golden Rope', which I have not read, but from I understand, each book can be read as a standalone. This book follows Marcy, the young daughter of Arthur Brownstone, who could be a globetrotting, mythological adventurer like her experienced, elderly, storytelling dad, but is afraid of the dark, of shadows, of monsters in stories, and of the unknown. I could relate to her and her anxieties, and I aspire to overcome my fears like she does.
Bravery is doing something in spite of the presence of fear, and this child exemplifies that wonderfully.
Little Marcy, a true Brownstone after all, is cunning and booksmart, too; she'll have to be to do things like solve the Sphinx's riddle. Adventuring isn't just about the action. It's about brains, knowledge, and wits. Oh, and heroism isn't much without compassion and thoughtfulness, and our girl has plenty of those to spare. The "scaredy-cat" will even become friends with gods!
Plus, Marcy is a cute little redhead with a yellow sunhat. She's like Madeline crossed with Hilda and Heidi, who will hopefully grow up to become Lara Croft or Carmen Sandiego.
'Marcy and the Riddle of the Sphinx' is far from perfect, however.
Marcy's mother, also an adventurer and yet is never named, barely has a presence, and why doesn't she go with Marcy on her quest to find her missing father in Egypt? Why doesn't Marcy think to tell her mother before she goes off on a dangerous mission with no guarantees she'll make it back alive? Isn't her mother at home worried while her daughter and husband are both missing?
And how does Marcy survive falling from a giant Wind Weaver bird and into (the entrance of?) an Egyptian tomb... somehow? Is it magic?
Why does she never talk to the goddesses Isis and Bast when she encounters them? I absolutely refuse to believe that any little girl, even when trying to sneak around unnoticed, could ever resist talking to a witchcraft goddess and someone who looks like a cat! At least the goddess of the night sky, Nut, acts as her guide.
I wish her pet black cat could have shown up for more than a few pages at most.
It is all rather farfetched, but that is the path, parcel and package of a children's adventure book with myths and legends.
So 'Macy and the Riddle of the Sphinx' is a cute, fun, mythologically, academically educational and
emotionally-educational little book. I will be reviewing 'Kai and the Monkey King' next, and then one more surprise instalment in the unique and endearing 'Brownstone's Mythical Collection'.
Keep watching the night sky and celestial constellations!
Final Score: 3.5/5
Keep watching the night sky and celestial constellations!
Final Score: 3.5/5
No comments:
Post a Comment