The Books of David Macaulay

This weekend, I was lucky enough to view an exhibition of the original artwork of children’s book author and illustrator David Macaulay at the RISD Museum in Providence, and I was blown away! I have always loved Macaulay’s books (he published his first in 1973, and has had a prolific career ever since), but it was especially striking to view drawings and sketches from so many of his books all at once. A graduate of RISD, Macaulay trained in architecture but never intended to practice. Instead, he used his training and skill to explain the complexities of the great buildings of the world to the rest of us. He branched out from architecture into history, technology, and the human body – approaching each subject with his trademark humor and intricately detailed illustrations.

Illustrations from The New Way Things Work

His best-known and loved work is probably The Way Things Work, which has been updated and renamed The New Way Things Work, in which he explains everything from the basic principles of physics to the workings of everyday machinery and new technology. He looks at the human body in The Way We Work, which includes very clear drawings and descriptions of the parts and systems of our bodies – if your child wants to know where poop comes from, this is the book for you!

Illustration from Mosque

Macaulay has also written and illustrated many books that take a close look at how we build things, including Castle, Cathedral, City, Underground, Pyramid, Building Big, Mill, Ship, and Mosque. Each of these books is a treasure. The illustrations alone provide hours of fascination, but the stories he weaves around these icons of human history are what bring the books to life. Why did people build things the way they did? What purposes did they serve? Macaulay throws himself into each subject, vividly imagining the daily lives of the people who built these structures and the people who used them.

Most of Macaulay’s books are geared toward older readers – fifth grade and up. However, I know for a fact that much younger children (preschool-age) will thoroughly enjoy the lavish illustrations and snippets of text read aloud by a parent, and grown ups will appreciate his knack for clear explanations and humor. For more information on David Macaulay, you can check out his website. I have also added all of my favorite David Macaulay books to the Global Mama Shop.

No related posts.