The book begins with a warning from Ms. Frogbottom's class, which apparently consists of six kids, to be careful when she takes out the map, because then Things Happen. The book is narrated by Tony, whose experiences in class exacerbate his skin-picking habit and anxiety to the point where his fingers start bleeding. So he asks for a bandage. Which makes Ms. Frogbottom think of lots of bandages and the next thing they know...
They've been whirled through space via the map and are in Egypt, learning about mummies, pharaohs, and getting lost in the pyramids! Not only that, but they accidentally bring a mummy to "life" and it's not letting them go. Can they escape the mummy and put it back into its eternal sleep, find all their friends, and get back to Ms. Frogbottom in time to get back to class. At least they missed the pop quiz!
A glossary of Egyptian terms is included. Ms. Frogbottom frequently corrects the kids and tells them not to call other cultures, including food or practices, "weird" just "different." There is a running theme/argument about a black cat bringing bad luck and, even though the class of six is diverse and presumably different kids will narrate different stories, the white boy is the focus of the first book.
The idea certainly isn't new, although Ms. Frogbottom's cheerful indifference to her class and the complete dismissal of Tony's fears and anxiety is a little "different." The book drops readers into what appears to be the middle of the action and I repeatedly had to check to make sure it really was the first book in the series.
Verdict: If you need more Magic School Bus read-alikes and have space for yet another beginning chapter book series, this is an adequate addition, but it does not stand out from the crowd.
ISBN: 9781534453975; Published April 2021 by Aladdin; Review copy provided by publisher
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