This book tells the story of precious gold, created when stars explode, mined in Ancient Egypt, made into a mummy mask and buried with a king.

But the tomb is robbed, the mask is stolen and made into something new... And so the gold changes hands and changes shape as centuries pass. It's a prize at the Colosseum in Rome, a gift for Queen Elizabeth I at Nonesuch Palace, counterfeit coins in a sea captain's chest, a toothpick holder at Versailles, gold buttons on a waistcoat bound for Australia, and a necklace in modern New York.

Stephen Biesty's richly detailed illustrations and Meredith Hooper's resonant text together tell the awe-inspiring story of the gold and its owners, of hopes and dreams, courage and deceit, romance and adventure.

The book is a fantastic journey through history, combining fact and fiction and rich in language and design. * The Bookseller - 21st June 2002 *

'it speaks to the imagination' Quentin Blake
'it's the kind of book that you do actually look at for a very long time' containing ' images you'd carry with you for the rest of your life' Julia Eccleshare

* Radio 4, Open Book Programme *
STAR CHOICE. Biesty's illustrations, sweeping across history, combine a sense of panorama with fine detail. A handsome production, of appeal to a wide age range. * The Bookseller *
'Biesty's illustrations, rich in fine detail and atmosphere, recreate the different periods of history, and with Meredith Hooper's elegant narrative this adds up to, well, pure gold'. * The Bookseller - 19th July 2002 *
Stylish Gold... Meredith Hooper's almost poetic narrative demonstrates the richness of source material in telling an extraordinary story. Stephen Biesty illustrates his heart out. * Glasgow Sunday Herald *
Imaginative narrative non-fiction is rare these days, so this book is particularly welcome. * Financial Times *
This is a mervellous and imaginative story of change and renewal. It is also superbly illustrated - with a surprise in every picture. A real treasure from a top author and illustrator team. * Junior Education January 2003 *
...a lyrical, concise and compelling narrative. * TES *
The journey is enriched by the detailed and brilliant pictures. The reader takes in history, geography and science through a fascinating narrative that leads us from the distant stars to here and now. * Booktrusted News, Spring 2003 *

Illustrator: Stephen Biesty studied illustration, specialising in historical and architectural drawings. He achieved international fame with his enormously popular 'Incredible Cross Sections' books, which have sold over 2 million copies worldwide and have won numerous awards. His illustrations are unrivalled for their ambitious scope and extraordinary attention to detail.

Author: Meredith Hooper grew up in Australia and came to the UK to do a post-graduate degree at Oxford. She is the author of many remarkable books for children, acclaimed for the way they distil a wealth of research into writing which is both simple and powerful.