AUTHOR: Aina Bestard
PUBLISHER: Zahorí Books
GENRE: Children’s nonfiction - Picture book
READER’S NAME: Natalia De La Rosa
DATE: June 2, 2021

Paisajes Perdidos invites young readers to travel back in time to see the lost landscapes of ancient Earth. From the Big Bang to the emergence of the first humanoids, snapshots of life on prehistoric Earth are presented in alluring pen and ink scientific illustrations. Each eon’s geological, botanical and zoological changes are broadly presented.Each era is described in more detail, including its floral and faunal protagonists.

Succinct and informative, this nonfiction picture book wastes no words. Short, simple descriptions accompany vibrant illustrations, making advanced concepts accessible to readers as young as 8 years old. Although it is a nonfiction text, climate change activism is evident in the book’s conclusion.

Paisajes Perdidos is made for translation. It would fit well in the niche carved out by the Welcome to the Museum series, which includes Animalium, Botanicum, and Planetarium. It is as visually attractive as tomes in that series despite its more ambitious subject matter and advanced target reader age.