Customer Reviews

Lost City: The Discovery of Machu Picchu

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Accessibly written and very beautifully by Caldecott Honor Winner Ted Lewin, Lost City: The Discovery Of Machu Picchu is a picturebook history presentation about a 1911 journey into Peru in search of Vilcapampa, the lost city of the Incas. What was actually discovered was the forgotten city of Machu Picchu, resulting in an extraordinary testimony to archaeological history and a Native American legacy, in this wonderfully illustrated, deftly told, and strongly recommended story.

My 5 year old was captivated by the story of the search for the lost city of the Incas. We read this book many times before our visit to Machu Picchu. She was thrilled to climb up the steep trail and come out on the hill overlooking the city to find the view "looks just like in my story!"

There's enough detail to make the story interesting for adults to read aloud. The inclusion of the little boy who helps Bingham locate the lost city makes the story even more enticing for young readers. My daughter remembered all the facts from the story and was so excited to see the real place and learn that it was a true story.

I very strongly recommend this book for young kids interested in Andean peoples or who will be visiting Machu Picchu.

I bought this book as a gift for my 7-year-old nephew. I recently returned from a trip to Peru and my nephew was asking a lot of questions about the Inca and Machu Picchu. There aren't many books for kids for sale in the US about Machu Picchu, but this one is very good at telling the story from the point of view of Bingham and the boy who helped him to "discover" Machu Picchu.

I think the illustrations are beautiful and the story held my nephew's attention.

Dominated by beautiful artwork, this picture book traces Hiram Bingham's trek from Cuzco to his discovery of Machu Picchu - the so-called Lost City of the Incas. A few of the key characters involved in this specific segment of Bingham's 1911 are interspersed into the short book, but the boy whose family was living and farming on Machu Picchu and led Bingham to the ruins, creates a dreamlike quality to the tale. Lewins' watercolors fill the entire pages and explode with color, shading, details and subtlety. The story is written in language appropriate for readers in grades 1-3, and works equally wonderfully when read by an adult.

Machu Picchu was named one of the NEW seven wonders of the world in 2007 and Bingham's "discovery" of Machu Picchu celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. My 7-year-old stared at the images in Lewin's book in awe, and could relate to the boy who leads Bingham to the incredible stonework ruins that straddle two magnificent peaks of the might Andes. This is a terrific introduction to a legendary story of a legendary people.