The Pharaoh's Curse

Museum Kittens #2

by Holly Webb, Sarah Lodge (illustrator)

Brave, clever and never more than a whisker away from adventure! When the museum's visitors are gone for the day, it's time for the cats to come out to play…

The kittens are curious when a rare Egyptian papyrus comes to the museum on loan. But from the moment the artefact arrives, things start to go wrong and rumours of an ancient curse begin to spread. When a pipe leaks and the Egyptian gallery is flooded, the kittens find themselves trapped. Will they be the next victims of the pharaoh's curse?

The second in a charming new series from Holly Webb. Purr-fect for fans of the OTTOLINE books and THE ROYAL RABBITS OF LONDON.

Genres: Animals, Fiction

107 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2020

About the author

Holly Webb is one of Britain's best-loved children's writers. She has written over a hundred books for children, and her work has been translated into over thirty languages. Holly lives in Tilehurst, just outside of Reading, Berkshire, with her husband, three children and several cats.

Reviews

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four kittens live with their family in the basement of a museum, where the night guard keeps them to scare away the rats. When the museum adds the Egyptian Book of the Dead to an exhibit, the kittens worry that it might be cursed. Strange things begin to happen around the museum, but is it just coincidence? Or is the Egyptian exhibit really cursed?

This is such an adorable book! The kittens are so cute, and I love the little adventures they have. The plot is simple, but interesting. The writing style is perfect for this age group, and even enjoyable for an adult to read.

I love the world-building of the museum and the family of cats. The old grandfather cat takes a special interest in the kittens in this second book in the series, teaching them to hunt for rats and being more involved in their adventures.

The best thing about this book was the sibling relationships between all the kittens. They squabble and tease each other, but they learn and grow through their mistakes.

The illustrations are beautiful, and really bring the story to life. Seeing the artwork of the kittens makes me want to give them a cuddle!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.


Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

[Natalia Kinga · Rating 2 out of 5]

No dobra nie było to jednak tak złe jak myślałam. Nawet dobrze się bawiłam czytając to

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

The Mummy's Curse is a new tale for young readers in the Museum Kittens series by Holly Webb. Released 12th Oct 2021 by Tiger Tales Books, it's 160 pages and is available in paperback format.

This is a very simply written and whimsically illustrated adventure style chapter book about a group of kittens tasked with guarding a museum. They are varied in size and ability and the author makes them understandable and realistic to the target audience by showing them experiencing and learning from frustration (and problem solving) as well as fear, bravery, differences, and supporting one another. There are also themes of found/blended family, work, and cooperation.

The book is peppered with monochrome pen & ink illustrations by Sarah Lodge which support and expand the text and are full of small details which invite a lingering look.

There's a lot of action and adventure along the way with the exhibits in the museum providing a backdrop for some educational tidbits in the form of Egyptian and natural history. Although most adults should be shaking their heads over the shocking lack of archival protocol in this shockingly lax museum (full of sleeping guards, marauding rat gangs, broken leaking pipes, flooding, and a pack of cats), it is a fun and full speed romp for younger readers. The author has also included a short author's notes at the end with interesting facts about Egyptian history, the Book of the Dead (funerary book from ancient Egypt), and cats.

This would make a good choice for public or school library acquisition, reading circles, read-a-longs, and solo reading for youngsters.

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although this chapter book is a fast read, it's worth the effort because the four kittens introduced in the first book in this series are back and dealing with a possible curse once papyrus owned by an Egyptian pharaoh arrives and is housed in a glass case. Rumors about a curse fly around the kittens as builders work on repair work to the museum's leaking pipes and restore a ceiling. Tasha, who is fascinated by the statue of Bastet, is sure that rumors of the curse are false, and there is no such thing. But when the rats try to get to the papyrus, thinking it's some special food, and cause a flood, the kittens' lives are in danger--as are the precious artifacts. This book is so full of humor and heart that I snorted several times in amusement at the kittens' antics and efforts to get the Night Guard to awaken from his nap and find help. As with the previous title, readers start getting to know each of the cats a little bit better from their antics, their comments, and how they react under pressure. And poor Grandpa Ivan rises to the occasion even though all that water reminds him of his brush with death as a kitten and triggers PTSD. Despite the serious plight the kittens' face, readers will still find room for entertainment and will surely be amused by how the kittens wander around the museum and enjoy the artifacts just as much as humans seem to. I'm such a fan of those big-eyed kittens and winsome looks and Bianca's preening. After all, she is a diva.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a cute story about kittens living in an Egyptian museum saving that museum from mischief caused by rats. Along the way, the kittens (as well as the readers) learn some facts about Egypt. This would make a good read aloud for early middle graders (2nd-3rd graders).

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

So cute! Picked this up in Egypt at the Egyptian Museum, so it was extra adorable to read. =) Our cat-loving 2nd-4th grade readers will love this series to accompany other Holly Webb books that we have in the libraries.

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

paperback, Polish

[Tasha Lucia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute children's book!

[Aruna Kumar Gadepalli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kittens and the adventure to save the treasure of the the museum.

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

book 2 and it's funny cause the book cover I got says The Mummy's Curse yet it says here The Pharaoh's Curse anyways it is a cute book where the kittens get to deal with a water adventure and a Pharaoh's curse from an excerpt from the Book of the Dead... and of course 4 rats got to help cause trouble in the museum.

[Madelyn Messick · Rating 5 out of 5]

My second graders LOVED this book! It was a little hard to keep track of all the different kittens, but overall they loved the cats.