Building Books: The Art of David Macaulay

Categories: Award Winners , Children's Books , Arts & Crafts

My husband and I recently saw the exhibition Building Books: The Art of David Macaulay, currently on view at the Cincinnati Art Museum through September 7th. 

David Macaulay is a Caldecott Medal winning children’s book author and illustrator who was born in England in 1946 and moved to Bloomfield, New Jersey when he was 11.  After graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design with a degree in architecture, he vowed never to practice.  Instead, he experimented with creating books and his first, Cathedral, was published in 1973.  His drawings have the uncanny ability to explain everything from simple gadgets to amazing architectural structures. 

Building Books presents pen and ink illustrations from many of his classic books, including The New Way Things Work, Cathedral, Castle, City, Mill, Mosque, Pyramid, Unbuilding, and Underground.  You can also see illustrations from his other children’s books such as Black and White (1991 Caldecott Medal winner), Shortcut, and Angelo.  A great exhibit for adults and children alike! 

Macaulay’s new book, The Way We Work: Getting to Know the Amazing Human Body, will be published in October.