Pompeii: Lost and Found [Hardcover]

Mary Pope Osborne (Author), Bonnie Christensen (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 6 and up | Grade Level: 1 and up

The famous eruption of Mount Vesuvius that snuffed out life in Pompeii and buried the town has long been a fascinating moment in history for children. This book presents that dramatic story with Mary Pope Osborne’s brief text and with stunning frescoes created by Bonnie Christensen, using the same colors, style, and technique as the ancient frescoes unearthed at Pompeii. In addition to the destruction of Pompeii and the rediscovery of the ruins nearly 1,700 years later, the book shows what daily life was like in this prosperous Roman town in the year 79 A.D.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. Grade 3-5–After brief accounts of the events of 79 A.D. and the first archaeological investigations of the city that lay beneath the fields surrounding Mt. Vesuvius, Osborne's straightforward text focuses on the life at Pompeii at the time of the volcano's eruption. Discussions of daily activities include mention of the many types of buildings unearthed, such as private homes, bakeries, baths, and markets, as well as the activities enjoyed by the free citizens of Pompeii–concerts, plays, and gladiator fights. A large illustration, flanked on the right by two boxes containing text and a smaller picture, occupies most of each spread. Christensen's distinctive, haunting frescoes are reminiscent of the art found throughout the site. Some illustrations are copies of original artwork, while others offer glimpses into what the city may have looked like prior to the volcano's eruption, detail objects found on location, and offer readers information on dress, decoration, and architecture. The illustrations are framed with decorative patterns typical of the period and the colors used reflect those found at Pompeii, including the distinctive, earthen red of some of its most familiar frescoes. While Osborne's text does not go into great detail, it will serve as an enticing introduction to this legendary city frozen in time. Students ready for more information will be fascinated by James M. Deem's Bodies from the Ash (Houghton, 2005), illustrated with outstanding color photos.–Daryl Grabarek, School Library Journal
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 2-4, younger for reading aloud. Christensen's striking, original frescoes illustrate this lively introduction to Pompeii. Osborne begins by imagining what the Roman city's residents were doing just before Mount Vesuvius' ash buried the city. Later spreads chronicle archaeological discoveries and discuss how scientists form a picture of daily life from the objects, buildings, and artworks recovered from the magnificently preserved site. The theatrical account of the ancient citizens' response to the disaster will bring children right into the history, as will the clear, succinct descriptions of how the people of Pompeii ate, bathed, shopped, and amused themselves. Christensen's unusual frescoes, with their cracked, rough-hewn surfaces and blurred figures in Roman costume, extend the sense of antiquity while making the details of ancient life (and the terror of the event) tangible. In a lovely closing, two images reinforce connections to history by juxtaposing the same street scene, shown first with a Roman Empire mother and child, then with a contemporary mother and son. A note about frescoes and a quiz close. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (January 10, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375828893
• ISBN-13: 978-0375828898
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 0.4 x 12.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #497,523 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A lively history of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 70, April 10, 2006

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pompeii: Lost and Found (Hardcover)

Frescoes by Bonnie Christensen accompany a lively history of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 70, which changed the world of one of the richest towns in the Roman Empire. Pope recreates life in early Pompeii pre-eruption and artist Christensen illustrates each scene with frescoes using the same colors and style as the ancient wall paintings unearthed at Pompeii: together they recreate a bygone era, using archaeological evidence as the foundation for discovery.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for elementary students, January 30, 2010

By 

WeeBeaks (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pompeii: Lost and Found (Hardcover)

This is a nicely-illustrated (fresco painting style pictures) picture book depicting the history of the town of Pompeii and its destruction via volcanic eruption. The book is large size with pictures each page, medium amount of text, thus appealing and not overwhelming to early elementary students. I used it with a 2nd grader, who was easily able to read it independently. The content was realistic without being overly explicit to those kids who may be sensitive to content regarding death of people and animals. It does not gloss over the fact that many died, but does it considerately, I thought. The whole book is framed by describing the archeological discovery of the town, which helps the children understand it occurred far in the past, and it was real (not just a fictional storybook).

5.0 out of 5 stars To my surprise, I am giving Mary Pope Osborne 5 stars, June 26, 2011

By 

M. Heiss (USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pompeii: Lost and Found (Hardcover)

Mary Pope Osborne is the author responsible for the Magic Tree House series of tedious children's books. Just words on paper does not a children's book make. However...

In this book, she steps away from writing bland dialog and preaching lectures on wholesome New-Age living to create an enjoyable book. Bonnie Christensen's exceptional artwork is satisfying and delicious. This is a must-have. Don't turn up your nose just because the author's other work is uninteresting; give it a try. It's a nice surprise.

This is a good presentation of what happened in Pompeii when Vesuvius erupted. Nice large book -- great illustrations.