Vulca, the Etruscan; Nefertari, Princess of Egypt

These are picturebook introductions to ancient civilisations that have been translated from Italian. Both use the device, ancient itself, of a modern child taken back in time to meet a historical figure - Vulca or Nefertari - and be given a guided tour of their tombs. The main text is short and aimed at 5-8 year olds, although it is a poor translation which can be twee and patronising. Any child would know that 'the funny wooden thing' found by Robbie at the entrance to the Etruscan tomb, was a musical instrument. There are 'notes' at the back of the book, suitable for an older child, filling in the background. A lot depends on the illustrations, which are vigorous and colourful, but which, I suspect, are not accurate representations of the original tombs. The idea might have been more successfully used in a CD ROM format, where the reader could move more easily between the story and information content, and actual archaeological evidence could have been seen beside Angeletti's representations. It is curious to see the British Museum buying in material like this.