Frank Lloyd Wright for Kids: His Life and Ideas with 21 Activities

by Kathleen Thorne-Thomsen

Overview

An engaging, kid-friendly exploration of America’s leading architect and his work

This revised and updated edition of a longstanding classic, Frank Lloyd Wright for Kids, details the life, times, and work of the celebrated architect. Through simple, kid-friendly prose and anecdotes, author Kathleen Thorne-Thomsen describes the influences of Wright’s Wisconsin childhood filled with nature, music, and close family ties; his struggles to find work as a young architect; the unique style that led him to the top of his profession; and masterpieces such as the Robie House, Hollyhock House, Fallingwater, the Guggenheim, and many others. Also discussed are Wright’s sometimes controversial private and public life and the people and times that influenced him and vice-versa, with new sidebars on topics such as the Chicago and Bauhaus schools of architecture, Friedrich Froebel and his toy blocks that enchanted Wright as a child, and the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. Budding architects will delve into architectural and design concepts while having fun through 21 hands-on projects, such as creating an edible model of Fallingwater, making a miniature Japanese kite, reading an architectural plan, and much more. A time line, glossary, bibliography, and list of houses to visit are also included.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781613744741
Publisher:	Chicago Review Press, Incorporated
Publication date:	07/01/2014
Series:	Chicago Review Press For Kids Series , #47
Edition description:	Second Edition, Second edition
Pages:	144
Product dimensions:	8.40(w) x 10.90(h) x 0.10(d)
Lexile:	1010L (what's this?)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Kathleen Thorne-Thomsen is an author who specializes in writing and designing books and websites for museums, historical sites, and educational organizations. She is the author of Greene and Greene for Kids, The Huntington for Kids, The Sustainability Book for Kids, and many others. She lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Editorial Reviews

A terrific book.”  —Washington Post, on previous edition



“An unusually effective art book for children.”  —Publishers Weekly, on previous edition



“Throughout the book, the photos of people and buildings provide real insight into the subject. An unusual and appealing introduction to Wright.”  —Booklist, on previous edition


“Beautifully illustrated. . . . Can stimulate lesson plans and thematic units to engage and stimulate children throughout a long, hot summer.”  —Texas Child Care, on previous edition

"I wouldn't be at all surprised if this book were responsible for putting a few architects into the world; it's really a book about culture, nature, geometry and American history as well as architecture and Wright." —Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

“Kathleen Thorne-Thomsen's book is indeed a child-friendly volume, but there is nothing juvenile about it… Highly recommended for design aficionados of all ages!” —Mad for Mod


“Frank Lloyd Wright for Kids is a rare children's biography that invites readers to explore the complex of systems of knowledge that come to fruition in the lifework of a famous architect.” —Midwest Book Review

From the Publisher

07/01/2014
Gr 4–6—While readers may be impressed that Frank Lloyd Wright started his architectural career with only seven dollars in his pocket and was living on a diet of bananas, this revised and expanded edition does not offer much more content than the previous edition. Although information regarding Frank's mistresses, marriages, and subsequent children as well as projects completed later in life (the Guggenheim, S. C. Johnson Wax building, Seth Peterson cottage in Michigan) are now included, much of the verbatim content has simply been reorganized into more chapters and subsections. The 21 hands-on activities for kids are nearly identical to those that appeared in the previous edition, with the exception of a modified origami activity; seasonal festival projects, which are now divided into two separate activities; and the addition of a seemingly unrelated Japanese butterfly kite craft. Many of the activities suggest specialty materials that will require a trip to the store to purchase items that readers won't easily find at home, such as small pieces of glass or plastic, specific types of sketching paper and pencils, and plaster or sand. With a text that assumes a basic knowledge of architectural concepts (such as lack of definitions for words like "gable," "horizontal," and "vertical") and spreads of activities that appear randomly mid chapter and detract from the text, this book may have limited appeal to general audiences.—Meaghan Darling, Plainsboro Public Library, NJ

School Library Journal

A terrific book.

The Washington Post

With its simple prose, handsome layout and hands-on approach, Thorne-Thomsen's biography/activity book is an unusually effective art book for children. The influences of Frank Lloyd Wright's (1867-1959) Wisconsin childhood--nature, music and close family ties--come to life in the author's sympathetically told anecdotes. Extensive accounts of masterpieces like the Robie House, Hollyhock House and Fallingwater give heft to a comprehensive overview of the architect's career, which candidly notes his frequent trouble finding work. Twenty-one projects, ranging from making a plaster model textile block to preparing oatmeal (a Wright favorite), comprise the book's second half and nicely complement the portrait of a compelling artist. The edible graham-cracker-and-icing model of Fallingwater is priceless. Somber black-and-white photos, line drawings, a glossary, bibliography and list of houses to visit are included. Ages 8-up. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly