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Maya Lin: Artist-Architect of Light and Lines: Designer of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Maya Lin: Artist-Architect of Light and Lines: Designer of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Reviewed by: Jill O'Connor - Harriet Beecher Stowe Elementary School, Brunswick, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: September 17, 2017

Review

In telling the story of how Lin came to win the contest to design the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Harvey and Phumiruk take the reader back to Lin's childhood and the places and ways in which she found her path to art and architecture. With the opening picture of Lin and her brother running up Lizard's Back Hill (so named by Lin and gorgeously drawn by Phumiruk to hint at the slumbering lizard that begat the moniker) to the freedom she found as a child to explore and create to her experiences studying buildings all over the world, Lin's story is one of seeing the world and interacting with nature to enhance the beauty and effect an emotional response. Her story is also one of determination and perseverance because though her design was chosen out of 1421 entries, there were people who did not agree that it should have won. Lin had to endure challenges to her design, but she stayed strong and, in the end, it was constructed as she envisioned. With clear storytelling and beautiful images to match, a young reader will see how much it means to go after your dream and how much it meant to create this memorial to the people who had survived or lost a loved one. The page in which the finished memorial is shown is quite emotional. And readers will find out that Lin is still at work designing new beautiful sculptures and artwork for the world. An Author's Note includes a photo of Lin at the time of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial contest (1981) and offers a little more of Lin's philosophy for her design. A well-done picture book to use when studying artistic inspiration, determination, or biography (though no timeline or additional photographs are included).

Overall Book Score: very good