Lost Cities, written and illustrated by Giles Laroche. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Raincoast. 2020. $23.99 ages 9 and up

"For almost 1,700 years the city was lost, buried under one hundred feet of volcanic ash that destroyed the life of the city, but preserved Herculaneum's houses and villas, including furniture, Roman bronze sculptures, and even the skeletons of those unable to escape."

Readers who are interested in ancient times, architecture, history and imaginative artwork will find much to love in this new book by Giles Laroche.

His introduction states:

"... ancient cities once thrived. Some were part of
vast empires, while others were small and independent.
Many lasted for centuries, even millennia, and went
through great transformations. Most ultimately didn't
survive, but clues to their past exist in the ruins of their
buildings and monuments."

He includes many questions there that will inspire readers to wonder about those same things he wondered about. Before introducing KARNAK TEMPLE, he encourages them to think about our own cities and how they will tell our stories many years from now.

With each turn of the page, he creates a full-page spread to introduce an ancient city. He describes it in an opening descriptive paragraph. Other pertinent information follows: location, who lived here, why was it lost, how was it found, and what is mysterious about it. Short answers give all details needed before moving on to the next described city.

Thirteen such cities are presented, followed by a time line and a world map that provide world context and for additional thought.

Because I know little about art, I was pleased to find a description of the layering techniques this fine artist used to create his spectacular images. If you read this and like it, you might want to check your library for a copy of If You Lived Here (HMH, 2011) or What's Inside (HMH, 2009). You won't be sorry you did.