Macchu Picchu: The Story of the Amazing Inkas and Their City in the Clouds (Wonders of the World Book) (Hardcover)

by Elizabeth Mann (Author), Amy Crehore (Illustrator)
Key Phrases: Machu Picchu, Sapa Inka, Sun Temple

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Grade 4-7-In relating how and why this commanding settlement was built, Mann recounts the history of the Inka people from their origin as a small Andean tribe in the 13th century to the destruction of their empire after the arrival of Pizarro. She smoothly incorporates Inka legend with information on the culture's social and political organization, religious beliefs, and engineering accomplishments. While the Inkas left much in the way of archaeological remains and artifacts, the author makes it clear that much is still unknown about this civilization. Full-page paintings face pages of text; additionally, there are two full-color photos, a map, and a double gatefold detailing the different areas of the site. Although a couple of the illustrations evoke a sense of the majesty of the location, others, with figures engaged in labor or battle, are oddly static. Still, readers will be fascinated by the narrative. Once again, Mann has written an engaging and accessible introduction to one of humankind's great architectural achievements.
Daryl Grabarek, School Library Journal
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Machu Picchu, the religious site sacred to the Incas (or Inkas as it is spelled here), is the hub around which the rest of the Incas' story plays out. The city, up in the sky and between two mountains, was made out of stone carved with primitive tools. After beginning with the discovery of the city by Hiram Bingham in 1911, Mann goes back in time to introduce the Incas. It is Mann's comfortable text that makes this so special. She ably brings the Inca's complicated society into focus. For instance, she begins with a question: How can we ever really understand a culture so wildly different from our own, where people celebrated rocks as sacred, thought strips of finely woven cloth were more precious than gold, administered a vast empire without knowledge of money or writing, and sacrificed children on mountain peaks? And unlike some nonfiction, this really answers the questions readers want to know. In some detail Mann explains how the various parts of the empire were conquered and shaped into a whole, how roads were built and communication was facilitated, the concept and concrete place that was Machu Picchu, and how the end came for the Incas. Oil paintings by Amy Crehore range from prosaic to arresting (the scene of a bloody battle). More striking are the few photographs: a young, mummified child surrounded by possessions; high in the mountains, Machu Picchu in the mist. An exceptionally fine entry in the Wonders of the World series. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Mikaya Press (April 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0965049396
• ISBN-13: 978-0965049399
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 10.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #857,959 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a reader from oregon, April 4, 2000

By A Customer

I received this book as a gift and it is simply beautiful!If you want to know about the Incas read this book,or just look at the pictures...exquisite!

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inka magic, February 13, 2003

By	Jeekee Young (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This book is a delight. The vivid colors and imagination are what separate this book from your typical, dry non-fiction children's book. Obviously, the Inkas had access to all of the colors of nature(not just earthy colors as some might think) and no piece of faded cloth can tell the true story. Just like the Sistine Chapel, the Inka garments were once vibrating with color. The building of Machu Picchu speaks volumes - they had supreme skills in the area of art and design. Highly recommended to students and adults alike.

2 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Too much blue clothing, July 11, 2002

By A Customer

Loving Peruvian textiles and having visited many exhibits in museums, I was very disappointed at the extensive use of blue and blue-green in the clothing. The Inkas used only natural dyes including indigo but not mostly the textiles were reds, golds, oranges and browns. I wouldn't use this book with students. An excellent book on Peru's textiles - though not a child's book - is "Hidden Threads of Peru" Rowe and Cohen. These are not ancient textiles, but they do show a Peruvian choice of color.