by Julie Leung (Author) Yifan Wu (Illustrator)
In this stunning picture book about renowned architect I. M. Pei, award-winning author Julie Leung and captivating illustrator Yifan Wu unite to tell the story of the man who changed architecture forever with his forward-thinking shapes.
As a boy in Shanghai, Ioeh Ming Pei was awestruck by the enormous buildings that popped up around him every day. He quickly figured out exactly what he wanted to be when he grew up—an architect who designed skyscrapers that touched the clouds.
I. M. Pei set off to make his mark, and with his appealingly modern ideas, he found himself with many clients—including a rock and roll museum, businesses around the world, and even a president’s widow. Everyone wanted I. M. Pei to design their buildings. Though his plans weren’t always immediately popular, his legacy has endured, and his structures can still be seen all around the world, from the JFK Library and the East Building of the National Gallery of Art to the Louvre Pyramid.
Readers will be inspired by the spare yet informative text and luminous illustrations, which bring I. M. Pei’s incredible legacy and achievements to life.
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Leung and Wu portray renowned modernist architect I.M. Pei (1917-2019) as perceptive, serious, and determined from an early age. Visiting stream-carved volcanic rocks in Suzhou, China, young Pei notes the "careful planning" behind the pieces. As an adult, he breaks with decorative architecture and embraces modernism--and he soon becomes one of its most recognizable champions, with commissions that include a new entrance to the Louvre. Pei's relentless creativity, and the excitement of modernism itself, are conveyed via digital images that combine crisp lines with almost luminescent colors, evoking the movement's signature geometric shapes and favored materials of glass and steel. Reportorial spreads occasionally take wonderful flights of fancy: one shows Pei leaning over Hong Kong as he contemplates creating a skyscraper that will withstand typhoons. A timeline and sources conclude. Ages 4-8. (May)
Copyright 2024 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission."A fascinating and beautifully illustrated biography of one of our most celebrated architects. Highly recommended." — School Library Journal (starred review)