posted on 11 Sep 2023

Temira Burtons and the Pharaoh’s Treasure by Dawn Funnell

It is always good to see a new fictional book about Egypt that helps to give a more rounded view of the topic which is regularly covered in Primary Schools. The cover illustration hints at mythological links, magic, time travel and adventure so I was keen to find out where the story would take me.

As with all the best children’s books, it is helpful to get the main character away from interfering adults as swiftly as possible. On the first page ten year old Temira is travelling alone by train to stay with her Aunt Guinevere who lives in Burpham, Norfolk. It seems that her divorced mother is a frequent traveller to far off parts and is in the habit of leaving her daughter for long periods with elderly relatives - something that she hasn’t enjoyed so far. Her father is also busy with his life so doesn’t seem to be in the picture much.

Eccentric Aunt Guin promises to be an interesting character who lives in a pink-thatched cottage and is obsessed with the colour red which suffuses every aspect of her life. She also has a mysterious attic with a box that has been saved for her. Apparently Howard Carter lived in Burpham and Temira’s great grandfather used to do odd jobs for the family. When she is presented with an intriguing Egyptian box that he received as a gift she begins to be optimistic about her stay in Burpham.

As the story unfolds, she meets a group of other odd elderly women who spend much of their time dressing up, chanting and dancing and apparently shape shifting - she wonders if this can really be happening or is it a dream? There is also a considerable amount of eating delectable and unusual food ( always a popular ploy in keeping the child reader interested):

‘ Everyone sat at the table and enjoyed the Bum-Bum cakes, which were even more delicious than they looked. The cream in the unicorn cake was laced with salted caramel and space dust candy which made taste buds almost explode from sheer bliss.’

It seems that Temira has fallen into a magical place which feels both exciting and troubling at the same time. She is compelled to take an ornate key which falls from the bag of the curious Mrs Plungeover. As she becomes more embroiled in the subsequent adventure, she learns that a tiny man called Bess and a mynah bird called Lancelot will be very helpful when they travel back in time to ancient Egypt in an old Victorian time machine.

As they travel they find out that the cruel Ammit, ‘all at once a lion, a hippopotamus and a crocodile’ and Apep, 'a gigantic curled and hissing snake’ are determined to take the key from her, no matter what happens. I will not reveal how all this plays out as they eventually meet with an important looking small boy sitting on an ornate throne and discover that they will play a significant part in ensuring his safety. After an eventful adventure Temira returns home and is rewarded with a hoard of treasure and she subsequently receives ‘The Howard Carter Medal of Finding Extraordinary Things'.

This eventful and often funny story will appeal to imaginative readers and provide some historical links to the fascinating world of Ancient Egypt. It is available to order from your local independent bookshop or direct from the author’s website: www.dawnfunnelltemiraburtons.com

 

Karen Argent

September 2023