Sharuko

Review
By Kirkus Reviews

An introduction to the life of Julio C. Tello, one of the most important Peruvian archaeologists and the first Indigenous archaeologist in the Americas.

Born in the highlands of Peru in 1880, Julio and his family were Quechua-speaking Indigenous people. His fearlessness and curiosity as a child earned him the nickname Sharuko, the Quechua word for “brave.” Presented in both Domínguez’s Spanish translation and in English, Brown’s account goes on to tell about Tello’s childhood and eventual move to Lima to further his education, ultimately in medicine. Pride in his heritage and a curiosity sparked by childhood discoveries of skulls and artifacts led him to apply his medical skills to interpreting the Indigenous history of Peru. Brown’s account of Tello’s life and achievements is compelling and engaging, and the accompanying artwork goes a long way toward giving a real sense of place to the narration, starting with the endpapers that show carved stone heads from the Chavín de Huántar, one of the sites explored by Tello. Children unfamiliar with Peru and its geography will find a helpful map at the beginning that not only indicates the places mentioned in the narrative, but also helps them locate Peru within South America.

An engaging account of a man who dedicated his life to telling Peru’s long history.