STARRED Review from Booklist for The Glass Pyramid!

The Glass Pyramid: A Story of the Louvre Museum and Architect I. M. Pei. By Jeanne Walker Harvey. Illus. by Khoa Le May 2025. 40p. Atheneum, $19.99 (9781665953337). Gr. 1–3. 720.92 

"Harvey adds another stunning title to her body of work in this lyrical picture book of an iconic piece of architecture. I. M. Pei, a renowned Chinese American architect, was commissioned by the French president to redesign the world’s largest museum, the Louvre, to make more room for art restorations and a clear entrance for visitors.

Pei kept his project a secret; he was an outsider and had faced a lifetime of discrimination and criticism for his nationality, inventiveness, and unconventional building designs.

For this project, he drew inspiration from the ancient stone pyramids of Egypt, the Buddhist retreats of China, and the geometric gardens of Versailles to create the modern glass pyramid which seems to “grow out of the courtyard.”

But it didn’t come without trials: “Success is a collection of problems solved,” and Pei exemplified this by overcoming adversity, time constraints, and skepticism at every step.

The digitally painted illustrations mimic the architecture beautifully, appearing as weightless as the pyramid itself while artfully highlighting the places and ideas that came together in Pei's ultimate design.

With helpful back matter offering even more context, this is a worthwhile addition to any picture-book collection, especially where books about architects, artists, and architecture are popular."