Prairie Boy: Frank Lloyd Wright Turns the Heartland Into a Home

An obsession with shapes serves as a leitmotif as Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959) grows to be a master architect. In Rosenstock's telling, his aesthetic was rooted in a childhood love of his Wisconsin prairie home's natural geometries ("oval milkweed seeds, six-sided honeycombs, and triangle-faced badgers") and his fascination with blocks. Wright's awareness of spatial forms leads to his feeling that "the old European-style houses didn't fit America's landscape," so he strikes out on his own, designing radically different buildings. "In Frank's houses, people stood on shapes, sat on shapes, slept on shapes. They looked through shapes, ate off shapes, played by shape-light." Neal's stylized illustrations are geometrically anchored, with crisp lines and shapes that occasionally echo Wright's signature patterning, and the earnest, informative narrative centers the subject's relatable interests. Substantial supplemental materials include an author's note, sources, and multiple photos of his work, where, "like magic, he shook dozens of shapes from his shirtsleeves." Ages 7-10. (Sept.)

Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Gr 2-5—In this picture book biography of architect Frank Lloyd Wright, Rosenstock emphasizes the development of Wright's unique architectural vision; he grew up to believe that houses should fit the landscapes surrounding them and the lifestyle of families living in them. He thought that houses should also include the basic shapes that he had grown to love as a young boy. Instead of focusing on specific buildings Wright created, this book highlights the roots of his thinking—how what he believed as a boy influenced what he did as a grown man. These ideas are reinforced by Neal's illustrations. The rolling, colorful prairie of Wisconsin that Wright loved is in contrast with the gray, rocky coast of New England where his family moved when he was nine. Neal also contrasts the old-style European houses being built on the prairie with Wright's newer vision of a prairie house that fit the landscape. Back matter deepens understanding of Wright's delight in shapes and natural landscapes, and includes photographs of the subject and some of his outstanding architecture. VERDICT An excellent introduction to the ideas behind Wright's architecture. Use with K.L. Going's The Shape of the World and Lynda Waggoner's Fallingwater to learn more about the man who has been called America's greatest architect.—Myra Zarnowski, City University of New York

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

'This picture-book biography captures how Frank Lloyd Wright revolutionized the American home. Lyrical text recalls Wright's early passion for architecture and his desire to break away from the old European-style houses he felt didn't match the American landscape. Digitally enhanced mixed-media artwork not only reflects colors that match Wright's moods and physical locales, but also uses geometric shapes to embody his concepts. This look at Wright's creative process will inspire children to take notice of their surroundings." — Booklist 

"This very early introduction to the pre-eminent architect starts with his childhood, rich with prairie influences and a fascination with shapes... a compact narrative... makes clear the impact one person's vision can have. Mixed-media and digital art combines childlike crayon-effectlines and textures with crisply stylized shapes; Neal stealthily builds up the pre-Wright landscape as cluttered with gingerbread houses, arrestingly interrupted with the bold horizontality of an early Wright building. This may help give weight to kids' early play or open up their considerations of their own landscapes..." — The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books