Anubis Speaks!: A Guide to the Afterlife by the Egyptian God of the Dead

The jackal-headed god dares readers to come along on the sun god Ra’s nightly journey through Duat, the Egyptian afterworld, to rebirth.

Schecter (Cleopatra Rules!, 2010) properly notes at the outset that Egyptian beliefs were not monolithic, so her canine co-conspirator has chosen elements that convey the “gist.” The god himself steps up to promise with indecent relish that there will be “blood. And snakes. And decapitations. And monsters who like to gobble up hearts and squeeze heads until they pop.” Anubis begins by describing how Ra created the world and the major gods by (as he puts it) “hocking a giant lougie” but ultimately left Earth in disgust to take up residence in the heavens. He delivers an hour-by-hour travelogue of Ra’s passage through the “dark lands” and accounts of gory battles that repeatedly leave the evil giant snake Apophis chopped into sushi. Anubis goes on to deliver introductions to ancient Egyptian culture and myths, major pharaohs, mummification (with particular emphasis on the gross bits) and burial practices—since, as he perceptively points out, Ra’s voyage also served as symbol and metaphor for the human passage through life and the afterlife.

Gr 4-6--At the heart of this imaginative tour of the afterworld of Egyptian mythology is the judgment of the dead: the recently deceased's heart is weighed against a feather, and the individual's fate is left up to whether the heart is lighter and therefore pure, or heavier and deserving of damnation. The weighing is done by the god of the dead and embalming, Anubis, who also serves as a wickedly funny tour guide. This book is packed with information. Anubis introduces readers to ancient Egypt and its people; the basics of Egyptian mythology; the process of mummification; and, of course, the judgment of souls. Another big topic is the harrowing journey the sun god Ra experiences every night, descending into the Underworld to defeat his enemy, Apophis, and rising again in the morning-an adventure Anubis takes readers on as well. The book ends with a list of gods and demons in the Egyptian pantheon. Anubis is snarky, but he gives a sense of genuine interest and enthusiasm, adding well-injected humor. He also relishes gross or graphic bits, and the illustrations, black-and-white depictions of important scenes, usually feature Anubis grinning and looking oddly joyful-a sentiment that will likely be matched by readers. His narration, plus the incredible wealth of interesting detail, could make this book a hit in any library.--Heather Talty, formerly at Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School, New York City