Lady of the Lines
How Maria Reiche Saved the Nazca Lines by Sweeping the Desert
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- USD 10.99
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- USD 10.99
Publisher Description
A Booklist Editor's Choice
Evanston (IL) Public Library 101 Great Books for Kids
When scientist and explorer Maria Reiche visited Peru’s Nazca Lines in 1941, she was immediately captivated by the larger-than-life animal carvings. But what were they, and why were they there? This STEAM nonfiction picture book for young readers reveals the story behind one of the greatest indigenous artworks in the Americas, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Maria Reiche wanted to put her curious mind to the test. When visiting Peru in 1941, she trekked across the land and discovered hidden lines covered in centuries of clay and sand. Fasciated, she picked up a broom from her tools and began sweeping for miles and miles to uncover more details, taking time to track her movement and sketch out the precise shapes she followed. Her first discovery was a spider-shaped carving spanning hundreds of feet of desert! Sweeping her way across the land, other shapes followed—a monkey, a condor, and a whale. But in the midst of these discoveries, she found out the land was going to be used for farming. She got to work again, this time demanding a press conference to announce her discoveries and stop the destruction of these ancient works of art—and it worked! Her efforts protected the land, which was later named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994 thanks to Maria’s tireless efforts.
Author Michaela MacColl’s lyrical writing and extensive research showcase Maria’s triumphant tale, accompanied by art from Peruvian illustrator Elisa Chavarri, a past recipient of the Pura Belpré Honor.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In revelatory prose from Maccoll, this fascinating biography details the efforts of one individual to conserve the shallow figures and shapes etched by an ancient civilization, the Nazca, into the Peruvian desert: Maria Reiche (1903–1998), the German woman whose work led to the geoglyphs' designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. First hired by an American anthropologist to see if the Lines might have served as a star chart, she then dedicated her remaining life to the forms. Acrylic gouache paintings by Chavarri present naturalistic portraits of Reiche sweeping years of accumulated dirt and pebbles out of etchings to reveal the image of "a spider as big as four city buses." Later, Reiche becomes an activist, persuading Peru to preserve the Lines. The work calls attention to an individual who dedicated her life to a cultural treasure and invites readers to solve the puzzle of the Nazca Lines' function. Ample back matter offers further context. Background characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Ages 7–10.
