# 26- Lost City: The Discovery of Machu Picchu, (2003)

Lost City: The Discovery of Machu Picchu, (2003)

Ted Levin

Levin has created a beautifully realistic watercolor experience for readers in this historical tale about Hiram Bingham’s search in 1911 for Vilcapampa, the lost city of the Inca. Instead the explorer, with the help of a small Quechua boy as his guide, comes across the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu in Perú.

The endpapers encountered as the reader opens the book’s cover depict the lush greenery of the forest, and each watercolor and pencil full-page spread provides a new perspective of the enchanted scenes that Bingham explores. The artist’s cool tones depict scenes rich with depth and perspective, picturing vibrant iris mountains, grey stone ruins, and a sky highlighted in a warm orange hue. As we accompany Bingham on his journey, readers marvel at the sites constructed by the Inca and wonder how they were constructed alongside the explorer. We, too, are led by his young guide who utters phrases in Quechua to discover something other than what Bingham was searching for. The boy is featured smiling in a square frame on the back cover of the book, his bright red clothing contrasting with the lush greenery behind him.

In the author’s note, Levin shares that the most exciting part of working on the paintings was the challenge of re-creating Machu Picchu as it must have looked under 500 years’ worth of vegetation. Students will enjoy taking the journey through the picturesque imagery in this text, highlighted with pieces of the Quechua language and rich with historical detail and a sense of awe. A study of factual information about the Inca, Machu Picchu, and Bingham’s exploration can deepen the experience for older readers.