Review of Lost Cities by Giles Laroche

Combining world culture, history, geography, and architecture, this visually stunning look at ancient cities around the globe takes readers to such places as the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde, and the mysterious sculptures of Angkor Wat. Perfect for fans of This Is How We Do It and Atlas Obscura.

What would it be like if you lived a thousand years ago? To pass through the Hanging Gardens of Babylon on your way home? Or gaze at the stars from your cave dwelling in Mesa Verde?

On mountaintops, deserts, and the banks of rivers, ancient cities that once thrived have become lost to time. But in their ruins, we can find clues of the past and the extraordinary lives their residents lived. All it takes is a simple question: What was life like before?

Beautiful illustrations, masterfully crafted from layers of cut paper, ask readers to spend a day in the footsteps of someone from thousands of years ago.

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**My thoughts**
This one is going to appeal to all of the history buffs out there. Giles takes us through time, visiting lost cities from ancient (and a couple more modern) civilizations that have been rediscovered by explorers and archaeologists over the years. Each city is introduced with a simple paragraph about it. And then for those who want even more information, down below are more detailed answers to the questions of location, who lived there, why the city was lost, how it was discovered, and then what makes the lost city so mysterious. There's a lot of information without being overwhelming and boring.

It's all actually quite interesting to read. I have always been fascinated by the lost cities. But this book includes ones that I had not heard of before. So even this adult was able to learn something new inside these pages. 

The illustrations are quite detailed, trying to show what we know of the daily life within these cities. They pop up from the page, almost looking 3D at times. They are even more impressive at the end when you get a breakdown of the intricate and time-consuming work put into each illustration. 

Also included at the end is a world map that shows where each of the cities is found in relation to each other, and a timeline showing where each of them fall in history.

I would love this book in an elementary classroom for independent research and enjoyment.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me a review copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.