Follow the adventures of Ptoni, his Dad and the cat, Ptiddles, on their leaky old trading boat. They sail up and down the Nile trying to earn a living bartering any produce they can get their hands on. Dad is a useless businessman and the crew are the laziest group of layabouts ever to get on a boat, so it's up to Ptoni to see things through. These funny, joke-packed books are the first in a new series. Cartoon illustrations add to the humour and enhance the text. A special section at the back of the book gives notes on interesting facts about everyday life. A humorous introduction to life in Ancient Egypt. The Helpful Hieroglyph; Dad has had a lucky break, and is sent to a far-off village to collect some dues owing from a couple of farms. True to form though, he gets into a muddle with his accounting. Can Ptoni sort out the hieroglyphs and make everything add up?

Philip Wooderson is an established children's author who has written for A. & C. Black, Orchard and Heinemann.