Mummies in the Morning

Osborne uses the motif of books to reinforce the theme of Learning Through Discovery. The texts Jack and Annie find in the magic tree house contain useful information and allow the children to travel to historical periods where they gain valuable learning experiences. The books that transported the children to the Cretaceous Period in Dinosaurs Before Dark and to the Middle Ages in The Knight at Dawn make appearances in Mummies in the Morning, underscoring the thematic link between reading and discovery. From the inciting incident when the children use its illustration to wish themselves back in time, the book on ancient Egypt guides Jack and Annie throughout their adventure. For example, consulting the “drawing of the inside of the pyramid” helps them locate the queen’s burial chamber (18). During Jack’s climactic face-to-face encounter with the mummy, the nonfiction book enhances his discovery by offering historical details about the mummification process and its cultural significance: “Ancient Egyptians tried to protect the body so it would last forever” (45). By making books a vital part of the story’s structure, Osborne presents reading as an adventure filled with excitement and discovery.

The Book of the Dead is a key example of this motif. The search for the scroll guides the story’s central plot and emphasizes learning as something precious. Historically, ancient Egyptians created Books of the Dead to serve as practical guides, which is reflected in Queen Hutepi’s explanation that she needs the scroll to navigate “the horrors of the Underworld” (27). Because Queen Hutepi will apply the knowledge the book contains during her journey to the afterlife, the ancient text ties back to the novel’s focus on the importance of hands-on learning experiences. By finding the Book of the Dead, Jack and Annie free Queen Hutepi and complete their quest. The immense narrative importance that Osborne places on the Book of the Dead celebrates how reading has empowered individuals for millennia.