25.Mar.2010 Iggy Peck, Architect by Andrea Beaty & David Roberts

Iggy Peck, Architect is a charming rhyming story of a young fellow who loves to build buildings from whatever he has nearby – nappies, chalk, peaches, apples, pancakes, coconut pie – the list goes on. Until, that is, he meets his Grade Two teacher, Miss Lila Greer. She’s been scarred from an early childhood experience involving a skyscraper a lift and a French circus troupe.

The rhyming couplets that carry the story have a lovely rhythm and Beaty’s book has captured the imagination of both children enough to have clocked up many reads – quite a few repeat reads in the one night too! The illustrations by Roberts are great and the constructions built by Iggy Peck are splendid, and like the best illustrated books there are a few little hidden touches for young eyes to find.

I picked this book up at the SFMOMA bookshop on a visit to San Francisco but it is available quite widely including on Amazon.

Any book that excites children to consider architecture and building that doesn’t default to Bob the Builder is a welcome addition to the library!