Book Finder

Look around … art is everywhere! Art can be everything from the family photograph to the chair in your living room. This exploration encourages readers to discover art from around the world and in their own backyard. “Circles of art” begin with self, expanding out to the cosmos. Thoughtfully presented and attractively formatted, this book can be enjoyed many times over.

Their friendship started when one boy accidentally bumped into another’s block building — and then they discovered that building together was more fun. So, too, was imaginatively watching dragons and other fantastic creatures wreck them! Swirling, meticulous illustrations in Santat’s characteristic style detail the children’s friendship with its ups and downs, but one that is built to last.
 

“Artists have always had a keen eye for finding the most interesting parts of our communities.” Travel with two young people as they explore the world of art across time and distance. From Giza in Ancient Egypt to Prague in 2018, this realistically illustrated book includes a glossary and additional resources.

Ever since he was a wee mite (a termite, that is), Roberto has wanted to be an architect. Discouraged by his wood-eating family and friends, he decides to follow his dream to the big, bug city. There he meets a slew of not-so-creepy, crawly characters who spark in him the courage to build a community for them all.

Caution! Construction zone ahead! Anyone who has ever stopped to watch a big building going up — and who hasn’t? — will enjoy this behind-the-scenes look at an amazing construction project.

This wordless picture book with Baker’s characteristically beautifully detailed collage illustrations conveys a subtle message about how we can bring positive change to our communities. Every double-page spread is a view through the same window, a view that changes over a generation. Children can share what they think is happening to the neighborhood based on the illustrations. 

His talent was evident even as a child, and Paul’s “patience and perseverance, vision and innovation” allowed him to become an architect and successful businessman despite barriers because he was Black. Backmatter includes photographs of several of the buildings he designed — elegant indeed. 

With a growing global population, we will need more and more space to live, learn and work in. But what does that mean for the health of the planet? Can we do it sustainably? Tall buildings may be part of the answer. From the Great Pyramids of Giza and the Leaning Tower of Pisa to the Burj Khalifa and the Shanghai Tower, this book asks why and how we build higher and higher, and what that means for the planet.

You may be familiar with the iconic Vietnam Veterans Memorial. But do you know about the artist-architect who created this landmark? As a child, Maya Lin loved to study the spaces around her. She explored the forest in her backyard, observing woodland creatures, and used her house as a model to build tiny towns out of paper and scraps. The daughter of a clay artist and a poet, Maya grew up with art and learned to think with her hands as well as her mind. From her first experiments with light and lines to the height of her success nationwide, this is the story of an inspiring American artist: the visionary artist-architect who designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

Zaha Hadid grew up in Baghdad, Iraq, and dreamed of designing her own cities. After studying architecture in London, she opened her own studio and started designing buildings. But as a Muslim woman, Hadid faced many obstacles. Determined to succeed, she worked hard for many years, and achieved her goals — and now you can see the buildings Hadid has designed all over the world.

A skyscraper is built from the ground up, surprising readers when the finished building pop-ups (literally!). The last image shows the boy who is satisfied after completing his tabletop structure. Real and imagined combine in the sturdy format sure to inform and delight.

What makes a treasure? Simply something that is important to someone. Travel the world and see treasures that are natural, ancient, manmade, and more in this heavily illustrated and thoroughly engaging glimpse at both familiar and more obscure riches. Backmatter includes source notes and a glossary.

Can Iggy Peck use his architectural prowess to help Ada Twist’s Aunt Bernice from losing the house she inherited? Iggy, Ada, and the other Questioneers come together to solve the mystery of the missing antiques and acquire a bit of history along the way in this latest story in the Questioneers series.

Philip Freelon’s dream became reality when his team was commissioned to design the National Museum of African American History and Culture which opened in the nation’s capital in 2016. Beginning with his childhood, this realistically illustrated biography provides an afterword by the architect and additional resources.

Emily Warren was a bright girl who grew into a determined, intelligent, self-taught woman. After her husband, Washington Roebling, fell ill while building the Brooklyn Bridge, it was Emily who interpreted Washington’s drawings and carried out the plans over ten years. This is a fascinating examination of the iconic Brooklyn Bridge and the people and engineering behind it, revealed in spritely illustration and accessible language.

Marmalade is not only a trained architect with terrific plans to build a house, but she’s cute on top of it. But are cute kittens taken seriously? This — and more — are explored in a graphic novel just right for emerging readers.

Handsomely illustrated, shapes both simple (square, rectangle) and complex (cone, hexagon) are introduced as found in a range of art and architecture, faith, and practices in Muslim countries. A concluding note by the author broadly explains Islam and the range of countries from which her inspiration was drawn.

Curious children are sure to learn about various instruments and how they are used, as the contents of a typical toolbox are unpacked. Each is presented in crisp illustrations and very brief text.

Meet the Statue of Liberty. She came from across an ocean like many of the people she continues to welcome; that’s why her right foot is mid-stride, of course. Strong graphics and factual but timely, tongue-in-cheek text presents Lady Liberty as never seen before.

The world of Islam is intrduced by describing its colors and traditions in simple rhymes. From a red prayer rug to a blue hijab, everyday colors are given special meaning as young readers learn about clothing, food, and other important elements of Islamic culture, with a young Muslim girl as a guide. Terms introduced are explained in greater detail in the book’s end.

Some structures — like the Eiffel Tower and China’s Great Wall — are familiar. Others, however, are less well known like the Svalbard Global Seed Vault and the Kingda Ka. What they do share in common is that the y are all curious, a combination of imagination and science. Examine these curiosities in image and fascinating text which encourages thought and participation.

The story follows Anno as he rides through the streets and countryside of Northern Europe. This wordless picture book tells the stories of each hamlet, farmyard, circus, and town square in visually rich, and often surprising detail. The author introduces geography and science by focusing on children and adults at work and play, as well as on art, architecture, composers, and painters, as he conducts an imaginary tour of England

The history of African Americans is also the history of the United States. How the history and culture of once enslaved people came to sit proudly on the National Mall in the nation’s capital is told in word and image for a riveting portrait of a particular place and a country’s history.

Michael Shiner was born into slavery in Maryland but bought his freedom. He learned to read and write and thus detailed in his journal the history of Washington, DC.  Insightful and accessible, this is a well-documented and handsomely presented look at history.