Skyscraper

The stunning visual history of the rise of the skyscraper in the United States and around the world told with “dramatic paintings and lucid prose” (School Library Journal) from award-winning author-illustrator Lynn Curlee—now with a new look!

Did you know that it took ten million bricks to build the Empire State Building? Or that residents of the John Hancock Center sometimes have to call down to the doorman to find out the weather on the streets below? Or that a building in Dubai is nearly one half-mile high?

First erected in Chicago and New York, skyscrapers can be found all over America and have been expanding skyward all over the globe. From the Empire State Building to the Chrysler Building, to the Sears and Hancock Towers, to the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, to the former World Trade Center, this book captures all the drama, excitement, and tragedy of humanity’s attempt to reach ever closer to the clouds.

Lynn Curlee was educated as an art historian and worked as a fine artist for many years before he began to make children’s books. Three of his books, Capital, Liberty, and Rushmore, were chosen by the Barbara Bush Literacy Campaign as their Book of the Year in three consecutive years. Mr. Curlee has won numerous awards for his work, including but not limited to a Robert F. Sibert Honor Book (Brooklyn Bridge), Orbis Pictus Award (Rushmore), ALA Notable Books for Children (Liberty), and Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year (Parthenon). His other books include Ballpark, Trains, Mythological Creatures, and Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. He lives in Norwich, Connecticut, with his partner and two Great Danes. Find out more on Instagram @LynnCurlee.