May 18 – International Museum Day

About the Holiday

International Museum Day, created by the International Council of Museums, is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year under the theme “Museums Uniting a Divided World.” This theme highlights the potential of museums to act as bridges across cultural, social, and geopolitical divides, fostering dialogue, understanding, inclusion and peace within and between communities worldwide. To learn more about their initiatives, visit the ICOM website. Celebrate International Museum Day by visiting a museum near you!

Thanks to Atheneum Press and Barbara Fisch at Blue Slip Media for sending me this book for review!

The Glass Pyramid: A Story of the Louvre Museum and Architect I. M. Pei

Written by Jeanne Walker Harvey | Illustrated by Khoa Le

When the president of France asked Ieoh Ming (“I. M.”) Pei, a famous architect, to redesign the Louvre—”the largest museum in the world and home to the Mona Lisa”—he approached the assignment like a secret agent, aware that the local people would not appreciate a foreigner changing this museum that had such a storied past.

But all that history had caught up with the Louvre, and it desperately needed modernizing. The entrance was ungainly, with a long walk to the art galleries. I. M. envisioned an entrance that was not a door, but led from the courtyard. “Like a magic portal leading to a world of hidden marvels,” this new entry would branch into pathways to the Louvre’s three wings.

This new structure had to be just right—grand, but not blocking the view of the museum. When creating a new design, I. M. thought in Chinese and visualized possibilities by moving his hands in front of him “as if sketching in the air.” He studied the geometric features of the palace of Versailles and recalled the gardens he played in as a child at his ancestral home in Suzhou, China. Then the answer materialized! He imagined a large glass pyramid, a serene, sunlit space welcoming all visitors.”

I. M. was excited to reveal his idea, but the citizens were in an uproar and denigrated his idea. I. M. had faced personal and professional challenges before and relied on the strength he’d developed throughout his life. To “gain the trust of the people of Paris,” he sat for interviews, calmly expressing his vision for the Louvre. The mayor of Paris even proposed a life-size mock-up to help the people understand the design. Slowly, criticism waned and building began.

As the pyramid rose, so did issues that needed answers. Each was overcome, and one even led to surprising discoveries that were opened for visitors to explore. At last the pyramid was completed. On opening day, I. M. Pei’s appearance in the courtyard inspired applause from the visitors in line. He acknowledged their recognition with a nod and a wide smile. Today, the pyramid has “blossomed into a cherished symbol of France.”

Back matter includes a discussion of an architect’s job, a brief biography of I. M. Pei, STEM connections describing how construction problems were solved, selected sources and online videos.

The story behind the addition of the glass pyramid to the Louvre has it all—history, a brilliant creator, a world-renowned art collection, innovation, controversy, and success. In her tribute to I. M. Pei and the Louvre, Jeanne Walker Harvey embraces its entirety in her elegant prose that is as transparent and beautiful as the pyramid itself. Throughout her pages, Harvey weaves her tapestry with glorious threads from the Louvre’s intriguing past; I. M. Pei’s dedication to his art, mindful philosophy, and unique method of conjuring his iconic designs; the fervor of French feeling; problem solving; and collaboration. The result is a masterpiece of nonfiction in which each reader can find depth and meaningful lessons on staying true to ones own vision.

Khoa Le’s compelling and intricate illustrations introduce children to I. M. Pei and transport them to visit the Louvre inside and out, gaze at the gardens of Versailles, and view China’s Lion Grove Garden on their way to witness I. M. Pei visualize and complete the Louvre’s glass pyramid entrance. Children also see other buildings designed by Pei, obtain an understanding of how Pei’s thoughtful manner can be adopted in many situations, and how collaboration sets the stage for success.

Ages 4 – 8+

Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2025 | ISBN 978-1665953337

About the Author

Jeanne Walker Harvey studied literature and psychology at Stanford University and has worn many job hats, ranging from being a roller coaster ride operator to an attorney, a middle school language arts teacher, and a long-time docent for school groups at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. She is the author of several books for young readers, including the picture book biographies Dressing up the Stars: The Story of Movie Costume Designer Edith Head, Ablaze with Color: A Story of Painter Alma Thomas, Maya Lin: Artist-Architect of Light and Lines, and The Glass Pyramid: A Story of the Louvre Museum and Architect I. M. Pei. Jeanne lives in Northern California. Visit her online at JeanneHarvey.com.

About the Illustrator

Khoa Le is an illustrator from Vietnam, who graduated from the Ho Chi Minh City University of Fine Arts. She has dedicated most of her professional life to working in publishing, illustrating numerous books that have been published in Europe, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam. Currently, she works and lives with her cats. Visit her at khoaleartwork.com.

Museum Lovers Day Activity

Museum Visit Activity Pages

Interact with any trip to a museum with this activity sheet that gets you thinking, feeling, and remembering the favorite parts of your trip!

My Trip to the Museum Activity Pages

Open Dyslexic Font My Trip to the Museum Activity Pages

You can purchase The Glass Pyramid: A Story of the Louvre Museum and Architect I. M. Pei from these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop

Picture Book Review

September 23 – It’s National Sewing Month

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

Sewing is one of the most popular hobbies around and has historically been one of the most important industries in this country and around the world. National Sewing Month was established in 1982 to encourage people to learn more about this craft and to try their hand at picking up a needle or sitting down at a sewing machine. To celebrate read up on the history of sewing and the textile industry and consider taking a sewing class or learning on your own. Sewing can be a fun and rewarding activity for adults and children. Who knows? It may even become a career that can send you to the Oscars, as you’ll see in today’s book!

Dressing Up the Stars: The Story of Movie Costume Designer Edith Head

Written by Jeanne Walker Harvey | Illustrated by Diana Toledano

As a child, living in a dry, barren mining town, Edith felt like she didn’t belong. She dreamed of living “in a place full of people and sounds and dazzling lights.” She liked hosting pretend tea parties with colorful china and sweet treats for her stuffed animals and imaginary guests. She also dressed up her pet cat, dog, rabbit, horned toad, and two mules in scarves, clothes, and fancy hats that she made just for them.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-dressing-up-the-stars-doll-house

Image copyright Diana Toledano, 2022, text copyright Jeanne Walker Harvey, 2022. Courtesy of Beach Lane Books.

“Edith’s greatest treasure was her bag of fabric scraps,” which she added to by going door to door collecting cloth whenever she and her family visited Searchlight, Nevada, a few miles away. With these scraps she made furniture, rugs, and tablecloths for her dollhouse and clothes for her little dolls. But her favorite thing to do was make costumes for her two friends, who liked to perform and make up plays for their families and friends. Edith preferred staying behind the curtain, self-conscious about her straight hair and gasses.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-dressing-up-the-stars-friends

Image copyright Diana Toledano, 2022, text copyright Jeanne Walker Harvey, 2022. Courtesy of Beach Lane Books.

Every night, Edith wished on the stars that she could move away and transform her life. Her chance came when her mother enrolled her in high school in Los Angeles. Here, Edith set about trying to figure out what kind of career she would pursue. She tried piano and gymnastics, but finally found her passion at the movie theater. Watching actors on the screen, Edith was able to escape “feeling shy at school.”

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-dressing-up-the-stars-movies

Image copyright Diana Toledano, 2022, text copyright Jeanne Walker Harvey, 2022. Courtesy of Beach Lane Books.

While Edith initially chose to become a teacher, after a few years “the allure of movies drew her back.” Without any formal art training, she found “a job as a sketch artist in a costume department of a movie studio.” When her boss discovered her lack of training, instead of firing her, he began teaching her how to draw costumes himself.

It took time and many rejections of her designs until Edith was finally entrusted with making costumes. But these weren’t for actors. “Instead, she dressed up animals. They were not easy clients.” But Edith was determined and soon she had a shot at dressing dancers as candy, but her designs, while creative, melted, cracked, and . . . flopped. But Edith got another chance.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-dressing-up-the-stars-animals

Image copyright Diana Toledano, 2022, text copyright Jeanne Walker Harvey, 2022. Courtesy of Beach Lane Books.

She worked hard for many years, gained experience, and was finally asked to “design costumes for famous movie stars.” Edith came to work on hundreds of movies, transforming actors into their characters and becoming famous herself. Then one night at the Oscars, Edith sat listening to the presenter announce the name of the winner for Best Costume Design. She was thrilled to hear her name, and “she climbed the stairs to the stage to accept her award” wearing a gown she’d designed herself.

Back matter includes an extended biography of Edith’s life, teaching, and work in Hollywood and includes photographs of Edith at work at her easel and dressing Dorothy Lamour in 1938 as well as a sketch for a costume worn by Grace Kelly in To Catch a Thief.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-dressing-up-the-stars-red-carpet

Image copyright Diana Toledano, 2022, text copyright Jeanne Walker Harvey, 2022. Courtesy of Beach Lane Books.

Jeanne Walker Harvey’s biography of Edith Head highlights this famous behind-the-scenes creator’s early life and dreams, her perseverance, and the self-confidence that spurred her on despite setbacks. Young readers will be interested to see how Edith’s childhood love for imaginary play, creating clothes for her pets and toys, and collecting cloth ultimately led to her career as a movie costume designer even though she pursued other jobs before recognizing her true passion. As she becomes involved in the movie industry, Edith’s receptiveness to learning and to learning from her mistakes provides a valuable lesson for all children.

Diana Toledano’s charming illustrations show Edith at her creative and courageous best as she holds a tea party for her toys, dresses her bevy of unusual pets, and strikes out into the desert to play. Depictions of the small town of Searchlight, Nevada, Edith’s enchanting dollhouse, and a Los Angeles street orient readers to the time period, while the ornate movie theater and black-and-white film Edith watches show how the movies offered Edith escape from her shyness. Toledano’s textured images follow Edith as she practices, fails, practices some more, and finally achieves her goals. The final illustrations showing Edith at the Academy Awards ceremony, walking the red carpet and winning an Oscar shows kids that dreams really can come true.

An inspirational biography of a woman who broke barriers in Hollywood, Dressing Up the Stars will appeal to kids who are interested in the movies and all creative endeavors and encourage them to pursue their true passions.

Ages 3 – 8

Beach Lane Books, 2022 | ISBN 978-1534451056

Discover more about Jeanne Walker Harvey and her books on her website.

To learn more about Diana Toledana, her books, and her art, visit her website.

National Sewing Month Activity

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-Dressing-Up-the-Stars-activity-kit-dressing-animals

Dressing Up the Stars Activity Kit

With this Dressing Up the Stars Activity Kit, kids can create their own costumes for Edith’s pets, a paper doll, and a character dressed as candy! They can even write the acceptance speech they’d give if they won an Oscar for their work on a movie!

**You can find Dressing Up the Stars: The Story of Movie Costume Designer Edith Head at these booksellers**

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million

To support your local independent bookstore, order from

Bookshop | IndieBound

Picture Book Review

March 10 – It’s National Women’s History Month

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

This month we celebrate the accomplishments of women in the past who have broken barriers and forged paths for today’s women and who still inspire the leaders of tomorrow. To honor women this month, learn more about the influential woman in your own field or in areas you enjoy as hobbies and teach your children about the women who made incredible contributions to the world long ago and those who are changing the way we live today.

Maya Lin: Artist-Architect of Light and Lines

Written by Jeanne Walker Harvey | Illustrated by Dow Phumiruk

As a child, Maya Lin loved playing and interacting with nature near her home. She and her brother liked to run over what Maya had named “the Lizard’s Back”—a hill behind her house—and into the woods. Sometimes Maya went into the woods alone and “sat as still as a statue, hoping to tame rabbits, raccoons, chipmunks, and squirrels.” She liked to play chess with her brother and build towns from scraps of paper, boxes, books, and other things she found around the house.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-maya-lin-artist-architect-of-light-and-lines-in-forest

Image copyright Dow Phumiruk, 2017, text copyright Jeanne Walker Harvey, 2017. Courtesy of us.macmillan.com.

Maya’s “parents had fled China at a time when people were told what to be and how to think.” They did not want the same for their children and always encouraged Maya to be and think what she wanted. Maya grew up surrounded by art. Her father worked with clay, and her mother was a poet. Maya also liked to make things with her hands. The beautiful library where she went to college inspired Maya to become an architect.

To learn about different buildings, Maya traveled all over the world. When she was only a senior in college, “Maya entered a contest to design a memorial to honor soldiers who died during the Vietnam War.” The contest stated two rules: the memorial had to fit in with a park-like setting, and it had to include the 58,000 names of the soldiers who had died in the war. These rules resonated with Maya. She “believed that a name brings back all the memories of a person, more than a photo of a moment in time.”

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-maya-lin-artist-architect-of-light-and-lines-as-young-girl

Image copyright Dow Phumiruk, 2017, text copyright Jeanne Walker Harvey, 2017. Courtesy of us.macmillan.com.

Maya visited the site where the memorial would be built. As she looked at the gently rolling hill, she envisioned a simple cut in the earth that would support a polished wall covered in names. Not only would the wall reflect those who died, but also those who came to visit and the surrounding nature. At school, Maya worked with mashed potatoes and then with clay to help her create the perfect monument. When she had finished her drawings and plans, she wrote an essay to accompany them. She wrote that her monument would be “a place to be experienced by walking down, then up past names that seemed to go on forever.”

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-maya-lin-artist-architect-of-light-and-lines-with-parents

Image copyright Dow Phumiruk, 2017, text copyright Jeanne Walker Harvey, 2017. Courtesy of us.macmillan.com.

More than 1,400 artists and architects—many of them famous—entered the contest. The designs were hung in an airplane hangar anonymously for judging. Finally, the day came for the announcement of the winner. When the judges called out Maya Lin’s name and she came forward, they were surprised to find that she was so young. Maya was excited to have won, but then some people began to object to her design. Some said her “design looked like a bat, a boomerang, a black gash of shame.”

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-maya-lin-artist-architect-of-light-and-lines-library

Image copyright Dow Phumiruk, 2017, text copyright Jeanne Walker Harvey, 2017. Courtesy of us.macmillan.com.

Maya was hurt by these comments, but she defended her design and, finally, it was approved. Maya worked with the architects and engineers who excavated the land and built the wall. As each granite panel was polished, engraved with the soldiers’ names, and set in place, Maya looked on. The memorial opened on Veterans Day in 1982. Thousands of people came to see it and to find the names of loved ones they had lost. As Maya approached the wall, “she searched for the name of the father of a friend. When she touched the name, she cried, just as she knew others would.” Every day since then visitors come to the wall to remember.

Maya Lin has gone on to design many more works of art and architecture that can be seen inside and outside. Each piece has a name and a particular vision. Maya wants people to interact with her art—to touch it; read, walk, or sit near it; or think about it. After each piece is finished, Maya thinks about her next work and how she can inspire the people who will see it.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-maya-lin-artist-architect-of-light-and-lines-Vietnam-War-Memorial

Image copyright Dow Phumiruk, 2017, text copyright Jeanne Walker Harvey, 2017. Courtesy of us.macmillan.com.

An Author’s Note about Maya Lin and the Vietnam War Memorial follows the text.

Jeanne Walker Harvey has written an inspiring biography of Maya Lin that reveals not only her creativity but the importance of creative freedom for children. Lin’s confidence that led her to enter the contest and then defend her winning design will encourage readers to pursue their dreams. Harvey’s lyrical storytelling reflects Maya Lin’s quiet, introspective nature, the influences that nurtured her creative spirit, and her dedication to inviting others to be part of her art.

Dow Phumiruk’s graceful, soft-hued illustrations allow children to follow Maya Lin as she grows from a girl discovering nature, constructing cardboard cities, and learning the arts from her parents to a young woman who draws inspiration from the world’s buildings and relies on her own sensitivity to guide her. Back-to-back pages of the landscape of Vietnam and the site of the memorial connect the two places for children’s better understanding. Phumiruk’s depictions of the Vietnam War Memorial also give children an excellent view of this moving monument. Her images of Lin’s other architectural work will entice young readers to learn more about her and to explore where each of these pieces can be found.

Ages 4 – 8

Henry Holt & Company Books for Young Readers, 2017 | ISBN 978-1250112491

Discover more about Jeanne Walker Harvey and her books on her website!

Learn more about Dow Phumiruk, her art, and her books on her website!

National Women’s History Month Activity

Maya Lin Coloring Page

Maya Lin’s accomplishments are inspirational for all children! Here’s a printable coloring page that you can personalize and hang in your room or locker to remind you that you can reach your goals too!

Maya Lin Coloring Page

Picture Book Review

August 29 – It’s American Artist Appreciation Month

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

This month we celebrate the artists who interpret the unique history, culture, and people of America in ways that bring new meaning and insight to those who interact with it. To celebrate, visit your local art museum or take a trip to another city to view pieces you’ve never seen before. The dynamics of seeing art up close provides new perspectives and appreciation.

Maya Lin: Artist-Architect of Light and Lines

Written by Jeanne Walker Harvey | Illustrated by Dow Phumiruk

Image copyright Dow Phumiruk, 2017, text copyright Jeanne Walker Harvey, 2017. Courtesy of us.macmillan.com.

An Author’s Note about Maya Lin and the Vietnam War Memorial follows the text.

Ages 4 – 8

Henry Holt & Company Books for Young Readers, 2017 | ISBN 978-1250112491

Discover more about Jeanne Walker Harvey and her books on her website!

Learn more about Dow Phumiruk, her art, and her books on her website!

American Artist Appreciation Month Activity

Fantastic Frame

Every great work of art deserves the perfect frame to display it. With a frame ready to decorate from a craft store and a few materials, you can create a Fantastic Frame for any of your drawings or photos!

Ideas for Decorating

Stickers
Decorative buttons
Small objects
Shells
Markers, crayons, or paint
Stencils
Washi Tape

Picture Book Review

About the Holiday

The Glass Pyramid: A Story of the Louvre Museum and Architect I. M. Pei

Written by Jeanne Walker Harvey | Illustrated by Khoa Le

Museum Lovers Day Activity

Museum Visit Activity Pages

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About the Holiday

Dressing Up the Stars: The Story of Movie Costume Designer Edith Head

Written by Jeanne Walker Harvey | Illustrated by Diana Toledano

National Sewing Month Activity

Dressing Up the Stars Activity Kit

You can find Dressing Up the Stars: The Story of Movie Costume Designer Edith Head at these booksellers

To support your local independent bookstore, order from

Share this:

About the Holiday

Maya Lin: Artist-Architect of Light and Lines

Written by Jeanne Walker Harvey | Illustrated by Dow Phumiruk

National Women’s History Month Activity

Maya Lin Coloring Page

Share this:

About the Holiday

Maya Lin: Artist-Architect of Light and Lines

Written by Jeanne Walker Harvey | Illustrated by Dow Phumiruk

American Artist Appreciation Month Activity

Fantastic Frame

Share this:

**You can find Dressing Up the Stars: The Story of Movie Costume Designer Edith Head at these booksellers**