Iggy Peck, Architect, by Andrea Beaty, illustrated by David Roberts
New York: Abrams, 2007
reviewed by Peter Exley, FAIA, and Sharon Exley, MAAE
Iggy Peck is the architect we all want to be, the engineer and author of lovely, exuberant structures made from the most exceptional and unexpected materials. Who couldn’t help but love a Gateway Arch if made of towers of pancakes and coconut pie?
Iggy’s tale is of one loved and encouraged by parents to follow his heart. Many of us will recall parents who were nurturing—if perhaps a tad curious about our creative quirks—or a teacher who tolerated our eccentricities, if not with approval, with fondness and patience. Yet it is Iggy’s teacher who first takes a jab, makes a joke, and attempts to extinguish his creative efforts. Banished with his chums to the periphery of the classroom, Iggy the outsider doodles his escapist architecture, and, as the class become victims of a terrible calamity, it is he, our hero, who uses his architectural nous to save the day. Bravo Iggy! Even his resuscitated teacher is impressed, and Iggy’s pals give the reader that look of told-you-so smugness—perhaps they didn’t exactly understand Iggy’s fascination with architecture, but he’s their friend, and they never doubted his brilliance.
Andrea Beaty’s poetic story of Iggy is most charming, but it is David Roberts’s illustrations that bring Iggy to life (and give away his Midwestern location). The drawn Iggy is tiny and quirky, especially set against his own towering structures, but he is a master builder, in charge of his destiny. Each page is a visual treat, filled with architectural details and historical references that lend themselves to close inspection. A clever use of white space and the double page spreads help create the sensation of height and urban density on every page, while giving the impression that Iggy’s imagination grows along with each new creation.
Iggy “quirks” up quite a few of our favorite buildings: architectural aficionados will enjoy the many references to iconic buildings and structures, though they may be a bit obscure for those who’ve never taken an architectural history class. Iggy’s ambition is heroic and original, for sure; a little ugly and ordinary might make the details of the subject matter more accessible. But maybe that’s okay; an impossible Leaning Tower crafted from diapers is certainly funny and could be fine inspiration for a mischievous reader.
Iggy Peck, Architect is a lovely parable of the power of creativity and an oddball manifesto to challenge the linguistic and logical biases of most educational curricula. Will it be the antidote? Likely not, but faith in creativity and invention saves the day in this book, and perhaps that will encourage a bit more tinkering with building blocks, glue, cereal boxes, and yogurt pots and inspire some future problem solvers. Read it at bedtime (it’s a quick read!), chuckle with your children, and send them to dreamland to build alongside Iggy.
Originally published in arcCA 10.3, “Design Education.”
