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New book out by David Macaulay titled simply, “Mosque”. He wrote and illustrated it. The book is mentioned in today’s edition of the New York Times (in the book review section of the paper).
Reason i’m mentioning it in this Forum is because the book apparently has beautiful illustrations, is historical and informative, and is geared towards kids; some of you have families - this would make a good belated Eid present. Or just a regular present for a kid - or even for an adult.
Excerpts from the book’s press release:
A mosque rises above the city, the small, ordered domes of the compound surrounding the central dome of the prayer hall and towering minaret. How was such a structure built? By whom? And why? As he describes the construction of a fictional but typical Ottoman mosque of the late sixteenth century, acclaimed author and illustrator David Macaulay reveals that a mosque is much more than just a structure to serve the religious needs of a community. Each of the surrounding buildings within the complex provides something unique and necessary - education, food for its students and the needy, a place for commerce, lodging for travelers, and public baths. Planning and building a complex of structures to serve such diverse purposes was not easy, but, as is his trademark, Macaulay illustrates this task effortlessly through his lucid text backed by meticulous research; full-color, spectacular illustrations; and his unique approach of using a fictional cast of characters to present his story.
Following in the tradition he established with his first book, Cathedral: The Story of Its Construction (A Caldecott Honor Book, 1973), and in the many books he has published in the thirty years since, David Macaulay has provided the explanations of the how and the why in a way that is both accessible and entertaining. From the pyramids of Egypt to the skyscrapers of New York City, the human race’s great architectural and engineering accomplishments have been demystified through Macaulay’s elaborate show-and-tells. His books have sold more than two million copies in the United States alone, and his work has been translated into a dozen languages. Five of his titles, Cathedral, Castle, City, Pyramid, and Mill, have been made into popular PBS television programs, and he is the creator of the international bestseller The Way Things Work, which was expanded in 1998 and is now The New Way Things Work, as well as Building Big, the companion book to the successful PBS series of the same name.
Macaulay’s books have earned him numerous accolades and awards: the Caldecott Medal and Honor Awards, Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, Christopher Award, an American Institute of Architects Medal, Washington Children’s Book Guild Nonfiction Award, Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis, and a Dutch Silver Slate Pencil Award. He was a two-time nominee for the Hans Christian Andersen Award and is the recipient of the Bradford Washburn Award, presented by the Museum of Science in Boston for an outstanding contributor to science.