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

by Jeanne Walker Harvey, Khoa Le (Illustrator)

Overview

Two starred reviews!

In this “stunning” (Booklist, starred review) picture book, award-winning picture book biographer Jeanne Walker Harvey tells the story of the renowned architect I. M. Pei and his triumph in redesigning the Louvre through problem-solving and persistence.

In 1981, I. M. Pei was on a mission. A successful architect known for his modern designs, Pei was asked by the French president to redesign the Louvre Museum in Paris, home to the Mona Lisa and now famous for the glass pyramid at its center. At the time, the Louvre had many problems and no pyramid.

Pei faced many obstacles, including discrimination because he was Chinese American. Determined to succeed and make the Louvre a welcome place for all, Pei worked hard—and sometimes in secret. This is the story of a visionary who worked patiently and persistently to solve problems and achieve his goals: to plant and grow a glass pyramid.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781665953344
Publisher:	Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	05/27/2025
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	40
File size:	89 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

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.

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.

Editorial Reviews

"Harvey’s narrative features clear exposition, interspersing intriguing details . . . Le’s illustrations deftly juxtapose old and new . . . A clear view into an extraordinary achievement from a legendary architect."

Kirkus Reviews

"The narrative is both lyrical and economical, every word carefully chosen. . . the clean lines [of the digital illustrations] are reminiscent of the beloved building and pair well with the text."

School Library Journal

★ "In spare, rhythmic prose and digital illustrations that combine architectural elements with vector-like precision, Walker Harvey and Le weave together Pei’s biography and the pyramid’s creation story."

Publishers Weekly

★ "Harvey adds another stunning title to her body of work in this lyrical picture book of an iconic piece of architecture. . . 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."

STARRED REVIEW Booklist

*JLG Gold Selection*

From the Publisher

2025-02-01
A tour through the process, pitfalls, and ultimately successful 1989 debut of I.M. Pei’s redesign of the Louvre.

Chosen by France’s president for the project, the Chinese American architect initially keeps his commission secret, worried that the French will block the involvement of an outsider. Pei visits the Louvre repeatedly, noting drawbacks that visitors to the museum and staff alike encounter and pondering solutions. He studies Versailles’ gardens, focusing on their geometric forms, light, and water features. Harvey acknowledges Pei’s Chinese influences, highlighting childhood visits to Buddhist mountain retreats and his family’s ancestral garden in Suzhou. The French public’s initial resistance is overcome through Pei’s press interviews, an in-situ, life-size mock-up of the bold design, and the Paris mayor’s approval. The courtyard’s 71-foot-tall glass pyramid, whose clear panes allow views of the existing edifice, is a portal leading visitors logically to the museum’s three wings. Pei’s bold design embodies both his sensitive approach to functional public spaces and his modernist vision. Harvey’s narrative features clear exposition, interspersing intriguing details about the discovery of an ancient subterranean castle and moat and the installation and cleaning of the pyramid’s 673 glass panes. Le’s illustrations deftly juxtapose old and new: childhood scenes in pre-urban China, Pei’s notably sleek buildings, and the contrast between the pyramid and the Louvre’s centuries-old facades.

A clear view into an extraordinary achievement from a legendary architect. (information on architects, biographical note, STEM connections, selected sources, video resources)(Picture-book biography. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews