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. ( )