About the Book
This fact-filled guide for kids 7 to 17 explores the world of architecture as you've never seen it before, from tiny shacks to vast palaces - and everything in between!
Praise for Atlas of Amazing Architecture
''Given the global spread of coverage and the unusual buildings chosen, this is a must for children's history, art, and architecture collections''.-- Booklist Starred Review
''A delightful and informative trip around the globe''. -- School Library Journal
''Peter Allen has written and illustrated a book that is stunning. I am sure there will be many, like me, who will revisit it time and time again and still find out something new and interesting''. -- Just Imagine
''A vibrant, wonderful journey across the world and will open the eyes of young readers to the awe-inspiring architecture all around us''. -- The BookActivist
''Both young and older readers will be drawn in, delighting in a wide-ranging exploration of fascinating buildings who are now getting a bit more exposure thanks to this fun and informative book''. -- The AOI
''Bursting with fascinating detail, this book is ideal for any budding young architect''. -- BookTrust
''A wonderful book to generate interest in the built environment''. -- Goodreads
This atlas of architectural wonders eschews the classic children's book fare of the Pyramids and the Taj Mahal, and instead takes a broader view of what constitutes amazing architecture. Buildings include: the Jameh mosque of Isfahan in Iran, Native American plank houses in New Mexico, Stave Churches in Norway, The Djinguereber Mosque in Mali, and extraordinary 18th century wooden churches on Kizhi Island, Russia.
Over 50 buildings span all the continents equally throughout history. Each of these buildings is visually striking and architecturally noteworthy; they introduce new engineering technologies or define a movement or capture the essence of a moment in human history. However, despite their significance, they are, for the most part, not part of the main Western architectural canon.
This book seeks out a more diverse, inclusive approach to what constitutes amazing architecture, and presents it with fresh illustration and clear, punchy text.
Established illustrator Peter Allen, whose work has been published extensively by Usborne and Walker, brings the illustrations alive in his typical playful and dynamic style.
About the Author :
Peter Allen is a well-established illustrator of children's books, whose work has been published extensively by Usborne and Walker. The selection of buildings reflects his personal interest and passion for architecture. Each building is elegantly captured in his playful, dynamic style.
Review :
'Packed with child-friendly details on lesser-known buildings, this work takes a colorful, fun look at global architecture, happily eschewing an outsize focus on Europe and North America. It features familiar types of buildings, giving readers an entry point to the work, but by showcasing places that readers will not likely already know, broadens their knowledge. For example, early structures open the book, but Stonehenge is skipped in favor of a henge at Avebury, England, and Iraq's ziggurat at Ur and Sudan's Meroe pyramids are shown rather than Egypt's famous tombs. The 40 entries progress chronologically, with the last dated building covered being the 2008 SGAE headquarters in Spain. Most entries cover a particular building, but a few, such as "Traditional Japanese Architecture" and "Airport Architecture," address styles or movements. Each entry takes up a two-page spread and offers large, attractive drawings of interiors and exteriors and highlighted building features, set on muted primary color backgrounds that make the illustrations pop. The accompanying text describes the building's history, related architectural and construction techniques, and ways the places have been used. Given the global spread of coverage and the unusual buildings chosen, this is a must for children's history, art, and architecture collections'. --Booklist Starred Review
'A delightful and informative trip around the globe, visiting more than 40 architectural sites, with contextual insights and vibrant illustrations. Rather than get lost in the details of precise rendering, the artwork relies on simplified recreations that are nevertheless lively, colorful, informative, and full of character. Whether drawings depict people constructing, visiting, worshipping, or even dancing, the decision to include human activity in these groundbreaking buildings highlights how architecture is part of our daily lives--all over the world. While many pages of the atlas are dedicated to singular buildings, there are pages that feature to groups of buildings, based on purpose, including airports and churches. Some building details are given a closer examination, with additional drawings set into the larger imagery. The text that accompanies the renderings is set as small paragraphs dropped into the picture plane, and includes historical facts, cultural insights, construction details, or other relevant information particular to a given site. Each building includes a date of construction and its location. There's a detailed table of contents, as well as glossary of architecture terms and an index. Although not a traditional architecture book, this volume gives readers an appreciation for the buildings we see and use every day. VERDICT Recommended for art history units and social studies curriculum". -- School Library Journal
'Come and explore global architecture sites with such great detail for a picture book. Readers are introduced to over twenty different sites around the world. They range from the Shanxi Hanging Monastery built in China in 491 CE all the way to the SGAE Headquarters in Spain built in 2008. On each two-page spread, readers are introduced to the building, stories behind the creation of the building and even architectural terms that describe its style and how it was built. The two-page illustrations of the buildings/sites are so detailed. The author also stayed away from the "typical" amazing architecture buildings that readers would have been very familiar with, such as the Pyramids or famous skyscrapers. There is also a glossary of terms in the back for reference.
This book is perfect for the reader who loves to build and learn how things are built. With the level of detail this book would suit children ages 11 and older'. -- Youth Services Book Review
'As someone who loves atlas books this had me hooked from the first word of the title! Peter Allen has written and illustrated a book that is stunning. The number of buildings is so wide-ranging and diverse and with just the right amount of detail in the writing. I am sure there will be many, like me, who will revisit it time and time again and still find out something new and interesting''. -- Just Imagine
'Beautifully presented with detailed artwork, this is a vibrant, wonderful journey across the world and will open the eyes of young readers to the awe-inspiring architecture all around us'.
-- The BookActivist
'Peter's illustrations are formed with inviting colours and busy, well-constructed compositions which keep the eye moving across the spreads to take in the multitude of details which he includes. I was taken with the amount of research the book must have required - it's quite an achievement.
The book is an invitation to be a sightseeing tourist, but acts as a binding of different cultures, all of whom engage in creating buildings for function or to impress - often with the most grandiose of intentions. And by depicting the 21st century visitors, the fascination we have for beautiful and awe-inspiring constructions is reinforced (witness the tiny tourist buses in the bottom corner of the Shanxi Hanging Monastery spread).
It's easy to see why Peter found Atlas of Amazing Architecture such a fascinating project - it will draw young and older readers in, delighting in a wide ranging exploration of fascinating buildings who are now getting a bit more exposure thanks to this fun and informative book'. -- The AOI
'The atlas explores architectural wonders, not the normal buildings that usually appear in books like these i.e. the pyramids or the Taj Mahal. The book takes a different and broader view of what is considered architecture. Some of these include Native American plank houses in New Mexico, Stave Churches in Norway, The Djinguereber mosque in Mali, and the extraordinary 18th century wooden churches on Kizhi Island, Russia.
There are over 50 buildings and each of them are striking and capture the essence or spirit of a particular time.
The illustrations are fresh and the book has a whimsical feel about it. It's unusual and delightful and it should definitely be on any parents list!' -- The Portugal News
'Well done to the makers of this book for including many contents I would not have predicted - I thought the subtitle of it concerning buildings I'd not heard of a bit of a challenge, but one they were more than up to. Starting with Newgrange, Avebury, Carnac etc and moving through time to the current day, we get a fine primer on superlative constructions around the world, introduced by vivid if cartoonish artwork and just four or five brief paragraphs. And what I was here for was the list of creations, from Nubian pyramids to pioneering Chinese bridges, and from the entirety of exotic, oriental Ayutthaya to the exotic, oriental Brighton Pavilion. Oh, and a modern marvel that never even got built - partly as we now know it never could have been. Not fully an actual atlas - the young student will probably need a real one to find out where exactly these things are - this still acts as a wonderful book to generate interest in the built environment'.
-- Goodreads
'Innovative architecture from around the world and through the ages is explored in this colourful and absorbing picture book for junior readers. From homes and universities to museums and places of worship, every double page features a specific building or architectural style, and provides information about when, where, how and why each structure was built.
Full-page, colourful illustrations are bursting with fascinating detail and provide an engaging backdrop to pockets of informative text. Ideal for any budding young architect, this interesting book would also be enjoyed by anyone who has an interest in how people across the globe live'. -- BookTrust
