Julia Morgan Built a Castle - Hardcover

Celeste Davidson Mannis lives in Los Angeles, California.

Miles Hyman attended the École des Beaux Arts—just like Julia Morgan—and lives in Paris, France, and California.

Grade 1-5–This picture book is a wonderful way to introduce young readers to a groundbreaking female architect. Luminescent illustrations, created using soft pastels and pencils in a golden-peach palette, appear to glow with the light of California and France, both seminal locations in Morgan's life. Informed by architecture, the paintings evoke Cézanne's attention to form: the folds of dresses, the curve of a mountain, a shadow over a hat. The opening spread shows a youngster constructing a geometric sandcastle while the text quietly states: Julia Morgan loved to build. The book highlights other significant moments: young Julia visiting construction sites with her engineer father; being the only woman in her engineering class at UC Berkeley in the 1890s; her pride at receiving a certificate in architecture from Paris's École des Beaux-Arts; her return to San Francisco and early career. The last half of the book is devoted to the construction of William Randolph Hearst's San Simeon. Mannis points out that Morgan's creations are solidly built and noted for their enduring beauty. Filled with rich vocabulary, the narrative employs scrumptious architectural terms such as Baroque, flying buttresses, and teakwood cornice. An inspiring tale and encouragement for someday builders.–Teresa Pfeifer, Alfred Zanetti Montessori Magnet School, Springfield, MA
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