I loved Fallingwater, Marc Harshman and Anna Egan Smucker’s picture book account of Frank Lloyd Wright’s design of the iconic house.

One of the astonishing things about the book is that it doesn’t even pretend to start with the sources of inspiration in Wright’s childhood. Instead, the first spread shows an old, discouraged, gray-haired man. “Once upon a time…Frank Lloyd Wright was the most famous architect in the world. But by 1934 he was just old. Someone even said he was dead!” The book doesn’t, however, try to show that the design of Fallingwater was Wright’s attempt to reclaim his place in architecture circles–though the back matter makes that argument. Instead, it focuses on his design process.

We see Wright meet with his client, visit the building site (multiple times), and think about the project. Spread after spread after spread. Finally, when a deadline looms, he puts pencil to paper and starts to draw the plans.

I love this glimpse into one artist’s process. I can imagine great conversations with kids about how his process might connect to their own process of writing.

The art by LeUyen Pham is astonishing. The text is wholly focused on Wright, but the illustrations add lots of detail about the reactions of the people around Wright–his staff, his client, the workers on the site. I love the layers that they add to the story. And they are simply beautiful all by themselves, too.

The back matter has essays by the authors and the illustrator as well as notes and sources, and some great links to videos about Fallingwater. This book gives you multiple ways to keep exploring the topic.

Fallingwater: The Building of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Masterpiece by March Harshman and Anna Egan Smucker, illustrated by LeUyen Pham. Roaring Brook Press: 2017.

Alyson Beecher hosts the Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge at kidlitfrenzy.com. Visit there for more great nonfiction picture books!