Machu Picchu

Wonders of the World

by Elizabeth Mann, Amy Crehore (Illustrator)

Was there ever a people like the Inkas?

Using slingshots, clubs and stone-tipped spears, this small Andean tribe conquered an area spanning 2,500 miles. Without the use of the wheel, they built a vast and sophisticated network of roads. Without an alphabet, they administered a population of ten million people. With the most primitive of tools, they built cities of stone.

Machu Picchu is as astonishing as its builders. Set in a remote, inaccessible area of the high Andes, this breathtaking city was never found by the Spanish Conquistadores. It is an untouched example of the genius of the Inkas.

Machu Picchu tells the story about the rise of the Inkas and the building of this great city. Award-winning author Elizabeth Mann has become justly famous for engrossing narratives that make distant worlds comprehensible and complex engineering feats accessible. In Machu Picchu, these talents are displayed to their fullest.

Amy Crehore's paintings convey a fabulous world that seems at once intensely real and dream-like. Her luminous pallette is an Inka tapestry unfaded by time.

Wonders of the World series

The winner of numerous awards, this series is renowned for Elizabeth Mann's ability to convey adventure and excitement while revealing technical information in engaging and easily understood language. The illustrations are lavishly realistic and accurate in detail but do not ignore the human element. Outstanding in the genre, these books are sure to bring even the most indifferent young reader into the worlds of history, geography, and architecture.

"One of the ten best non-fiction series for young readers."
- Booklist

Genres: History, Picture Books, Nonfiction, Historical

48 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2000

Reviews

[Elizabeth Pecoraro · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book told the entire story of Machu Picchu and how it came to be quickly and easily. Great quick, easy, and educational read. Thanks, Mann!

[Mercedes McLean-Wheeler · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice overview of what we know about Machu Picchu and the broad strokes of Inka history.

[Jeremiah Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good overview of Inka history, much more information than just about Machu Picchu. The depth was fitting for my family (4-9 years old, as well as me). Kids noted that the illustrations made the people look sad all the time.

[Grrrr]

quite interesting.

[Teri]

This looks like a well written story, will nicely illustrated pictures (on the longer side, but not your typical dry non-fiction kind of book).

[Nichole · Rating 5 out of 5]

nice overview beginning with the "discovery" of Machu Picchu - I appreciate how the author clarified that we don't really know what happened but here is what we think might have.

[Sheri Radford · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting, easy-to-read summary of the rise and fall of the Incas.

[Bev Putnam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely book to inspire Inca interest!