Reviews
"In his first book as both author and illustrator, Laroche uses his trademark collage technique, combining drawing, painting, and cut-paper. This isn't a lift-the-flap, question-and-answer title to browse through quickly. The minute detail celebrates the awe-inspiring constructions with a focus reminiscent of David Macaulay's work. This will have many grade-schoolers poring over the pages for a long time."-- Booklist "Bas-relief cut-paper collages and brief text take readers on a tour of unique architectural structures around the world."-- Kirkus Reviews "The text is good, the organization is clever, but it's the art here that is truly masterful. The illustrations are made from layers and layers of cut and painted paper, and in fact may be considered sculpture-the visible dimensionality gives each page a deep tactile quality. Animals, people, domestic scenes, and landscapes both natural and manmade are depicted with skill and charm: the intricacy of this art will hold readers spellbound. The book is brought to a satisfying close with a loving re-creation of a North American small-town street and the interior of a lighted room in which two children create ziggurats and temples out of blocks and read What's Inside?"-- School Library Journal "Laroche deploys the guessing-game structure and fabulously detailed collages to intrigue an older set of readers . . . structurs hold visual surprises . . . This is an obvious draw for viewers who delight in . . . detail, and also an inspiration for kids with scissors, paper, and patience."-- The Bulletin, "In his first book as both author and illustrator, Laroche uses his trademark collage technique, combining drawing, painting, and cut-paper. This isn't a lift-the-flap, question-and-answer title to browse through quickly. The minute detail celebrates the awe-inspiring constructions with a focus reminiscent of David Macaulay's work. This will have many grade-schoolers poring over the pages for a long time."-- Booklist "Bas-relief cut-paper collages and brief text take readers on a tour of unique architectural structures around the world."-- Kirkus Reviews "The text is good, the organization is clever, but it's the art here that is truly masterful. The illustrations are made from layers and layers of cut and painted paper, and in fact may be considered sculpturethe visible dimensionality gives each page a deep tactile quality. Animals, people, domestic scenes, and landscapes both natural and manmade are depicted with skill and charm: the intricacy of this art will hold readers spellbound. The book is brought to a satisfying close with a loving re-creation of a North American small-town street and the interior of a lighted room in which two children create ziggurats and temples out of blocks and read What's Inside?"-- School Library Journal "Laroche deploys the guessing-game structure and fabulously detailed collages to intrigue an older set of readers . . . structurs hold visual surprises . . . This is an obvious draw for viewers who delight in . . . detail, and also an inspiration for kids with scissors, paper, and patience."-- The Bulletin, "In his first book as both author and illustrator, Laroche uses his trademark collage technique, combining drawing, painting, and cut-paper. This isne(tm)t a lift-the-flap, question-and-answer title to browse through quickly. The minute detail celebrates the awe-inspiring constructions with a focus reminiscent of David Macaulaye(tm)s work. This will have many grade-schoolers poring over the pages for a long time."-- Booklist "Bas-relief cut-paper collages and brief text take readers on a tour of unique architectural structures around the world."-- Kirkus Reviews "The text is good, the organization is clever, but ite(tm)s the art here that is truly masterful. The illustrations are made from layers and layers of cut and painted paper, and in fact may be considered sculpturee"the visible dimensionality gives each page a deep tactile quality. Animals, people, domestic scenes, and landscapes both natural and manmade are depicted with skill and charm: the intricacy of this art will hold readers spellbound. The book is brought to a satisfying close with a loving re-creation of a North American small-town street and the interior of a lighted room in which two children create ziggurats and temples out of blocks and read Whate(tm)s Inside?"-- School Library Journal "Laroche deploys the guessing-game structure and fabulously detailed collages to intrigue an older set of readers . . . structurs hold visual surprises . . . This is an obvious draw for viewers who delight in . . . detail, and also an inspiration for kids with scissors, paper, and patience."-- The Bulletin, From King Tutankamun's tomb in Egypt to a Mayan temple in Mexico, from the Sydney Opera House in Australia to the Petronas Twin Towers in Malaysia, this handsome picture book introduces famous constructions, one building at a time. Each right-hand page features an outside view of a landmark building with a brief caption, accompanied by the tantalizing question, "What's inside?" Turn the page, and the answer is there in a big, amazingly detailed collage composition, accompanied by a sidebar filled with facts, such as each building's name, location, date of construction, materials, architects, and the building's current use. In his first book as both author and illustrator, Laroche uses his trademark collage technique, combining drawing, painting, and cut-paper. This isn't a lift-the-flap, question-and-answer title to browse through quickly. The minute detail celebrates the awe-inspiring constructions with a focus reminiscent of David Macaulay's work. This will have many grade-schoolers poring over the pages for a long time. Grades 4-8.