Overview
This is a beautifully photographed study of the world's most extraordinary architectural feats. Readers can explore old favorites like the Empire State Building and new wonders like Taipei 101 and the Burj Dubai (now the world's tallest building). Architectural details, engineering miracles, and drop-dead images drive home just how incredible these monster buildings are.Editorials
School Library Journal
Gr 4-8
Impressive illustrations and a wide assortment of facts introduce notable buildings from around the globe. Each spread is filled with illuminating photographs, diagrams, and drawings, along with informative captions. Each section opens with general information about a type of building. In "Palaces," for example, a spread includes a paragraph of introductory text along with six captioned photos of notable examples. The second spread of each section focuses on a particular building, with a single drawing spanning two pages. "The Arts," for instance, depicts Spain's Guggenheim Museum, with 19 small text boxes and several cutaway views highlighting key features such as the use of titanium tiles outside and Richard Serra's 100-foot sculpture (The Snake ) inside. "Building blocks" spreads utilize photos, diagrams, and drawings to spotlight specific elements involved in the construction of the featured building. China's Terracotta Army, in the section on "Pyramids and Tombs," includes a floor plan of the emperor's tomb and a "production line" drawing that illustrates how the statues were pieced together. The eye-catching photos and drawings include foldouts for the Empire State Building and the Moscow Underground, adding to browser appeal, but the book is more than just a collection of captioned pictures. The consistent progression from general to specific combines the facts, figures, and images into a meaningful and comprehensible framework for young readers. Three incomplete captions found on one spread do not mar this otherwise quality title.-Steven Engelfried, Multnomah County Library, OR