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"Iggy Peck, Architect" by Andrea Beaty

Author:

Andrea Beaty

Illustrator:

David Roberts

Publisher:

Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2007

Reviewed by:

Kristine Wildner, Holy Apostles School, New Berlin, Wis.

"Iggy Peck is an architect and has been since he was two, when he built a great tower — in only an hour — with nothing but diapers and glue."

So begins this delightful new picture book celebrating individuality, persistence and the importance of following your dreams and talents. The conflict begins when Iggy's building becomes disruptive and his second-grade teacher discourages his passion. It is not long, however, before Iggy's talent for building, together with his classmates' teamwork, becomes critical to saving the entire group from being stranded on an island - all because Iggy coordinates the building of a suspension bridge out of shoestrings, fruit roll-ups, etc.

The rhymes and rhythm of the story make it a very fun read-aloud. Although the vocabulary is somewhat advanced, it gives children exposure to new words to decipher in context. Complementing the text are fantastic full color drawings. David Roberts supports Beaty's premise that we all have special gifts by depicting each child in Iggy's class as an individual. The cover, title page and ending pages are overlaid on graph paper - as an architect uses to demonstrate scale. The characters are cartoon-like, yet include much detail. Bold elements of fabric add a collage-like feel to the artwork. The settings are simple, yet include remarkably detailed drawings of prominent styles of architecture.

Fun elements of Iggy's work include the St. Louis Arch made of pancakes and coconut pie, and churches and temples made from peaches and apples. Teachers and librarians looking for a great story to emphasize individual gifts and talents will find this story a perfect fit. Children selecting the book alone will marvel at the detail, enjoy the cleverly placed text, and have fun with the rhymes